Ayodele Arise, an APC chieftain and aspirant for the Ekiti North senatorial ticket, says the party’s recent Ekiti North primary was conducted in a manner he describes as a “sham.” In statements reported by Nigerian Eye and Daily Post Nigeria, Arise calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene urgently to address the dispute arising from the outcome. Arise argues that, despite the party’s claims of internal democracy, powerful interests—particularly state governors—undermine transparent application of constitutional and electoral guidelines. He says this influence makes it difficult for aspirants who are not aligned with such interests to succeed even when they are not direct targets in the contest.
Both outlets report that the APC supervising committee declares sitting Senator Cyril Fasuyi as the winner of the Ekiti North ticket. Arise and other aspirants, including Dipo Bamisaye and Dare Owolabi, reject the result, describing it as fraudulent and manipulated. Arise says he contested to expose irregularities and expresses confidence that APC national leadership has briefed Tinubu and that corrective measures may follow. The primaries, held last month, are also described as controversial in multiple states.
