APC Primary Disrupted in Ifaki Wards as Aspirant Accused of Snatching Election Materials

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

An aspirant in Ifaki-Ekiti has been accused of snatching electoral materials and physically preventing voters from casting their ballots in the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election for the Ido/Osi/Moba/Ilejemeje Federal Constituency. Stakeholders alleged that Hon. Tunde Alade, along with his associates, disrupted the exercise in Ward 1 and Ward 2 of the Ifaki area, raising tension and raising questions about the credibility of the election in the state. The incident was one of several scattered reports of unrest on Saturday, which also saw protests erupt in Lagos over allegations of widespread irregularities and voter intimidation.

However, in the wider context of the party’s primary in Ekiti State, the electoral process was largely peaceful. Party members in the state conducted themselves calmly during the exercise, which was held across all 177 wards of the state to elect candidates for the six federal constituencies. A heavy presence of security agents was observed at voting points, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were on hand to monitor the process in towns such as Ado-Ekiti, Iyin, Igbemo, Iworoko, and Ijan among others. In the vast majority of these areas, voting proceeded smoothly, beginning at around 9:00 a.m. and ending between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m..

The primary for the Ekiti North I (Ikole/Oye) constituency, in particular, was keenly contested but ultimately produced a clear winner. The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akintunde Rotimi Jr., secured a decisive victory in 22 out of the 24 wards of the constituency, defeating former lawmaker Bimbo Daramola and several other aspirants. The result consolidated Mr. Rotimi’s hold on his seat, with three aspirants formally withdrawing from the race to endorse his re-election bid, signalling an element of consensus within the party’s structure in the area.

Notably, both major national newspapers that covered the primaries in Ekiti made no mention of the alleged disruption involving Mr. Tunde Alade at the Ifaki wards. One report, which detailed the exercise across the three senatorial districts of the state, described the primaries as having been conducted peacefully by party members, with only minor skirmishes reported in a few towns such as Ilawe and Ikere.

Regarding the disputed election, the Ifaki wards fall under the Ido/Osi/Moba/Ilejemeje Federal Constituency, which is currently represented by Hon. Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole. The incumbent lawmaker had already denied any involvement in sponsoring armed thugs to disrupt the primary in Ekiti, calling the allegations a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his image. It is not clear if Mr. Tunde Alade was one of the aspirants who contested that primary or if his purported actions were directly related to the incumbent’s re-election bid.

Regardless of the specific allegations, the incident in Ifaki Ward 1 and Ward 2 highlights the persistent challenge of ensuring transparent and orderly internal elections within Nigeria’s political parties, even as the APC continues to refine its processes ahead of the 2027 general elections. The APC had earlier threatened to suspend aspirants found to be undermining the integrity of its primaries, though it remains unclear if any such disciplinary action will be taken in this particular case.

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