APC Aspirant Ajipe accuses Aiyedatiwa of exploiting government authority to undermine democratic principles in Ondo North

Chief Alexander Oluremi Ajipe, a senatorial aspirant for the All Progressives Congress in Ondo North, has come forward with allegations that the party's primary results in four out of six local government areas were tampered with ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Ajipe made these claims during a press conference in Owo, stating that he had won in Owo and Ose local government areas where proper primary exercises were conducted on May 18, 2026, but the results from Akoko Northwest, Akoko Northeast, Akoko Southeast, and Akoko Southwest did not accurately reflect the outcome.

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The Chairman of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi, announced at the APC State Secretariat in Akure that Gbenga Elegbeleye had secured 28,062 votes to emerge as the winner, while Ajipe Alex obtained 17,313 votes and incumbent Senator Olajide Ipinsagba recorded 9,819 votes.

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Adeogun Adejoro polled 3,845 votes, Abdul Tunji Muhammed secured 1,076 votes, and Michael Adeyanju recorded 640 votes, according to the announcement made by Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi.

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Ajipe has called upon the APC National Working Committee to review the declaration of the Ondo North senatorial primary results and declare him the winner, citing that he had received the validly counted votes.

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The aspirant expressed gratitude towards the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for intervening and preventing a crisis that could have arisen from the senatorial primary, while also voicing dissatisfaction with the role allegedly played by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in imposing Elegbeleye.

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Ajipe stated that the Ajipe Democratic Movement categorically rejects the declaration of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye as the winner of the APC Ondo North Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026, describing the events in the four Akoko local government areas as an allocation of votes rather than an election.

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In the affected areas, collation and returning officers allegedly collected results written on plain sheets of paper from APC members, promising to transfer them to official result sheets, but instead disappeared without showing up at the LG collation centers or the senatorial headquarters collation point in Owo.

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Ajipe claimed that a fair assessment of events before the disruption showed he was leading in Akoko Southeast, while Hon. Ade Adeogun was leading in Akoko Southwest, and Hon. Jide Ipinsagba was leading in Akoko Northwest, followed by Engr. Mike Adeyanju and himself.

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In Akoko Northeast, Hon. Jide Ipinsagba and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye were head-to-head, followed by Chief Abdul, according to Ajipe's account of the standings before the returning and collation officers disappeared and voting ended abruptly.

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Ajipe condemned the governor's undemocratic tendencies, stating that the entire process was handed over to the governor's political associates and his anointed aspirant, and that the Primary Committee and its technical team were compromised.

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The aspirant appreciated the Hon. Minister of Interior for his stand during the process, which helped calm tensions and reminded them that there are still leaders within the party who value justice over imposition.

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Ajipe believes that the governor's actions demonstrate his disconnection from the grassroots, as resorting to vote allocation proves he is not popular with the people and out of tune with the realities of the common man.

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The party risks repeating history, Ajipe warned, citing the 2015 and 2019 elections, and stating that if this injustice stands, Mr. President may become the biggest victim again in 2027.