APC refutes allegations of featuring non-natives in Ekiti House of Representatives primaries

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti has refuted allegations that a non-native emerged victorious as the party's candidate in the House of Representatives primary elections, with the party's Publicity Secretary, Mr Segun Dipe, issuing a statement on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti to clarify the situation.

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Dipe characterized the reports as false and misleading, emphasizing that they have the potential to spark unnecessary ethnic tension in the state, and he stated that no individual from another ethnic background participated in or won the party's primary election in any of Ekiti's six federal constituencies.

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According to Dipe, all aspirants who emerged as candidates for the 2027 general elections are natives of the state and reside within their respective constituencies, underscoring the party's commitment to indigenous representation.

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Dipe explicitly denied that the APC, Ekiti State Chapter, announced a candidate named Zaccheus Okoro for any federal constituency, contrary to circulating false reports, and he emphasized that the party's primary election process is transparent and unbiased.

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He noted that political representation in the state has traditionally been focused on development issues rather than ethnic considerations, and he urged the public to disregard the false reports as propaganda aimed at undermining confidence in the party's primary election process.

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The campaign directorate of APC House of Representatives candidate for Ise/Orun, Ikere, and Ekiti South West Federal Constituency I, Mr Toyin Okoro, also responded to reports questioning his identity, describing them as mischievous ethnic blackmail allegedly sponsored by political opponents.

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The campaign organisation maintained that Okoro is a genuine native of Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state, and it urged the public to disregard what it termed "cheap ethnic propaganda".