Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 12, Ibadan South West Local Government, have staged a protest over the alleged substitution of Hon. Rotimi Ajanaku’s name as the winner of the Saturday, May 16 House of Representatives primary elections.
The protesters are calling on the APC leadership at both the national and state levels to officially announce Hon. Rotimi Ajanaku as the recognized candidate. They argue that he emerged through due process and enjoys broad support at the grassroots level.
The group urged the party to uphold fairness and respect the outcome of the primary to preserve unity ahead of the general election.
Addressing journalists, Hon. Adepoju Popoola, a House of Assembly aspirant, called on APC leaders in Abuja and Oyo State to address the matter. He said Hon. Rotimi Ajanaku was the party’s consensus candidate before also winning the primary on Saturday.
Popoola said Ajanaku enjoys strong support from party members due to his popularity, consistency, and visible impact in the constituency, which he said exceeds that of some serving officials.
He noted that Ajanaku had been declared the winner of the primary before his name was substituted with another in the list released afterward.
“We are agitating because we don’t want APC to lose in the elections. This is our chance. The mistake we made in the last election should not repeat itself,” Popoola said. “Rotimi Ajanaku is a household name. Whether he is around or not, we feel his impact. We have to make the APC leaders in Abuja, Oyo State, and the local government know that Rotimi Ajanaku is our choice.”
Also speaking, Engr. Balogun Moyosoreoluwa appealed to the APC to look into the matter. He emphasized that Ward 12 is a politically active ward that determines election outcomes, including governorship races, and should not be sidelined.
During the protest, the demonstrators were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “Give Us Our Mandate Back,” “Rotimi Ajanaku Is Our Choice,” and “No to Imposition in APC.”
They said the display was meant to draw the attention of party leaders to their demand for fairness and the immediate recognition of Ajanaku as the duly elected candidate.
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