Protest Rocks Ilaje/Ese-odo Over APC Reps Ticket

Hundreds of stakeholders, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), youth groups, women organisations and community leaders from Ilaje and Ese-Odo Federal Constituency staged a peaceful protest at Awoye Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC to uphold what they described as the authentic outcome of the party’s House of Representatives primary election.

The protesters, who converged in large numbers, urged the President and the party leadership to ensure that the mandate given by the constituents during the primary election is protected in the interest of justice, fairness and internal democracy.

They maintained that any attempt to alter the outcome of the primary would undermine the confidence of party faithful and weaken democratic values within the APC.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Say No to Ojogo,” “Respect the People’s Mandate,” “Democracy Must Prevail,” “Leke Akingboye Is Our Choice,” and “Decentralize Pipeline Surveillance Now,” the demonstrators marched through Awoye amid solidarity songs and chants, insisting that the voice of party members and constituents must not be ignored.

The protesters specifically appealed to President Tinubu, the National Working Committee of the APC and other relevant party stakeholders to recognise the candidature of Hon. Leke Akingboye, whom they described as the winner of the authentic primary election for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency seat.

According to them, preserving the outcome of the primary election would further strengthen confidence in the party’s internal democratic process ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking during the protest, the Coordinator of the Niger Delta Women Forum, Mrs Kolawole Omolayo, said democracy thrives when the wishes of the people are respected.

She urged the APC leadership not to allow the collective decision of party members to be compromised, stressing that the people of the constituency had clearly expressed their preference during the primary election.

Also speaking, the Youth Leader of the community, Hon. Sanumi Olagoke expressed dissatisfaction over what he described as efforts to disregard the outcome of the primary. He appealed to the party hierarchy to uphold justice and fairness, warning that any decision contrary to the wishes of party members could have negative political consequences.

In his remarks, a community leader, Comrade, Nejo Oriade described any deviation from the authentic primary election result as a direct affront to democratic principles and the collective will of APC members in the constituency.

He called on party leaders to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process by respecting the mandate of the people.

Beyond the political demands, the protesters also renewed their call for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance operations across the Niger Delta.

Speaking on behalf of the women, Mrs. Akinleture Titilayo and Mrs. Bidemi Tayo argued that host communities should be given greater participation in protecting oil facilities.

They also called for the removal of Tantita Security Services from pipeline surveillance operations in Ondo State, insisting that a more inclusive arrangement would promote equity, create employment opportunities and enhance the security of critical national assets.

The protest ended peacefully as the demonstrators reiterated their confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to justice and democratic values.

They expressed optimism that the APC leadership would carefully review their demands, uphold the authentic primary election results for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency and address concerns over pipeline surveillance in the Niger Delta.