Respect will of members” — APC group petitions Tinubu over Ayuba’s victory

Michael Olumide

A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over an alleged attempt to overturn the primary election victory of Hon. Ganiyu Adele Ayuba in Alimosho Federal Constituency, Lagos State.

The group, led by the National Vice Chairman, Consolidated APC Grassroots Movement (CaGram), Comrade Okedara Kolawole described the development as a threat to internal democracy and warned that any move to alter the outcome of the primary election could create serious disaffection among party members at the grassroots.

In a letter addressed to President Tinubu and National Leader of the APC, the group expressed concern over what it described as “desperate attempts” by certain interests within the party to deny Ayuba the mandate freely given to him by party members during the recently conducted House of Representatives primary election.

According to the petitioners, Hon. Ayuba emerged overwhelmingly victorious in the primary election after polling over 37,000 votes, defeating other aspirants by a wide margin.

The group maintained that Ayuba’s emergence reflected the genuine wishes of APC members and stakeholders across Alimosho Local Government Area and the five Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

The petition further stated that Ayuba enjoyed broad support from party leaders, councillors, local government executives, grassroots mobilizers, and critical stakeholders within the constituency.

However, the group alleged that despite the transparent nature of the exercise, some individuals were allegedly attempting to substitute Ayuba with another aspirant who reportedly scored slightly above 2,000 votes during the primary election.

“It is shocking and painful that despite the transparent nature of the exercise, there are now alleged attempts by certain powerful interests to overturn the clear mandate freely given to Hon. Ayuba by APC members,” the letter stated.

The group warned that any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the primary election could undermine confidence in the APC’s internal democratic process and weaken the unity of the party ahead of future elections.

According to Kolawole, the situation has already generated widespread anger and disappointment among loyal party members in Alimosho, with many expressing fears that the wishes of grassroots members may be ignored.

The petitioners stressed that Alimosho remains one of the most politically strategic local governments in Lagos State and Nigeria, noting that any perceived imposition of candidates could create avoidable divisions within the ruling party.

They further argued that allowing the outcome of a duly conducted primary election to be altered after votes had been counted and results announced would send the wrong signal to party faithful across the country.

The group also urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to resist every attempt aimed at subverting the democratic wishes of party members in Alimosho Federal Constituency.

“We respectfully submit that democracy within any political party can only survive where fairness, justice, and respect for the wishes of members are upheld,” the petition added.

Kolawole appealed to President Tinubu to urgently intervene in the matter to preserve peace, unity, and confidence within the APC in Lagos State.

The group also called on the party leadership to thoroughly investigate all complaints and petitions arising from the primaries transparently and fairly.

They maintained that the integrity of the APC must not be sacrificed for personal or sectional interests, insisting that protecting the mandate of Hon. Ayuba would reaffirm the party’s commitment to internal democracy and justice.

The petitioners pledged their continued loyalty to the APC and support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, while urging the party leadership to act swiftly to prevent further crisis within the party.