Some National and State Assembly aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have raised concerns over an alleged plot to use thugs to disrupt the party’s forthcoming primary elections scheduled for Friday.
The aspirants, drawn from across the state’s 203 wards and vying for tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections, made the allegation in Akure on Thursday.
Speaking on behalf of the group, House of Representatives aspirant, Jimi Adekanle, alleged that some aspirants had been handpicked and endorsed ahead of the exercise, a development he described as undemocratic and unfair.
Adekanle further claimed that there were plans to unleash thugs on aspirants not included in the alleged list of preferred candidates, with the aim of influencing the outcome of the primaries.
He alleged that security personnel could be used to provide cover during the purported operation.
“Reports have it that thugs were instructed to violently attack any aspirants outside the governor’s list and their supporters at the venues of the primaries, with assurances that they would be protected by security operatives,” he said.
He also alleged that a further meeting had been scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2026, for financial mobilisation and coordination of the alleged plan, warning that such development posed a threat to internal democracy and peaceful elections.
Adekanle called on the national leadership of the APC, as well as security agencies, to intervene urgently, saying the situation could undermine party unity and jeopardise the credibility of the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the allegations, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, dismissed the claims, insisting that the state government had no intention of influencing the outcome of the primaries through violence.
He said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had been working to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible process in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
“It is not true. The governor can never be involved in such an act. As party leader in the state, he is committed to ensuring a hitch-free primary, not sponsoring violence,” Ajanaku said.
He urged aspirants and party members to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the exercise, stressing that the primaries must reflect the democratic values of the party.
