Oyo APC to conduct direct primaries for governorship, other positions

From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, has assured party members and aspirants that the party is fully prepared to conduct hitch-free direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adeyemo gave the assurance on Monday while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed to the state by the party’s National Secretariat at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

The former deputy governor said the party remained committed to ensuring transparency, fairness and internal democracy in the process of selecting candidates for the elections.

He explained that although efforts had been made to achieve consensus arrangements among aspirants, indications showed that direct primaries would be adopted in some cases, including the governorship contest.

According to him, the party would ensure that all aspirants are treated equally in line with democratic principles and the progressive ideology of the APC.

“We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket,” he said.

“To this end, we shall work towards organizing free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.”

Adeyemo stated that the APC national leadership would deploy officials from Abuja to supervise the primary elections, while the state chapter would provide the necessary support for smooth conduct of the exercise.

He added that all registered party members would participate in the process at their various wards.

“Either consensus or direct primaries, every registered party member will be involved as they will all gather at their respective wards on the date picked by the National Secretariat for the primary as it affects each elective position,” he added.

“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary.”

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party members that the committee would carry out a thorough screening exercise.

He said only qualified aspirants would be cleared to contest for the APC tickets in the forthcoming elections.

Other members of the Screening Committee include Kamal Sanusi as Secretary, Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.

Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole as Chairman, Abimbola Jack as Secretary, and Jelil Jimoh.