Some members of the All Progressives Congress from Osun West Senatorial District have protested alleged manipulation of the party’s legislative primary election which was held to produce the party’s candidate for the 2023 State and National Assembly elections.
The APC members had stormed the Osun State Government House, Osogbo on Wednesday, and claimed that Senator Adelere Oriolowo, who is currently representing Osun West in the Senate, won the Saturday, May 29 senatorial primary of the party.
According to the APC members, the result of the primary had been tampered with at the Government House in a bid to deny Oriolowo the return ticket.
The protesting APC members also called on Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the party leadership in the State to give the party’s ticket to OrioIowo, whom they claimed is the real winner of the primary election.
The protesters, who were armed with placards bearing various inscriptions, stated that their candidate was the most performing among all the legislators from Osun State in the National Assembly.
A protester, Salami Ajibade, speaking with journalists, explained that Oriolowo is a silent achiever whose track records can guarantee the APC massive votes in Osun West during the gubernatorial and Assembly elections.
While explaining that the essence of the protest was to express their dissatisfaction on the alleged doctoring of the Osun West Senatorial District primary election result, insisted that the aspirant remained the choice of majority of the people.
“For Osun APC to continue to wax stronger, OrioIowo must be considered with a return ticket to the red chamber.
“We decided to stage the peaceful protest because we were reliably informed that some people have manipulated the result of the APC primary election for Osun West Senatorial District. We were told that Oriolowo will be denied return ticket because he does not belong to the IleriOluwa caucus of the party.
“We want everybody to know that Oriolowo won the primary election. He is the choice of majority of APC members on Osun West. The fact that he is not abusing Aregbesola as some people wanted does not mean he is not committed to the second term ambition of Governor Oyetola.
“Sen. Oriolowo has performed excellently well at the Senate within the space of three years in office. Because of the fact the he’s not a noisemaker lawmaker like others does not mean he had not done well.
“If his counterpart from Osun Central, Senator Ajibola Basiru can be returned unopposed and Hon. Israel Famurewa could be given the ticket unopposed, there was nothing stopping the party to give a return ticket to Oriowo as well. Oriolowo should enjoy return ticket like other candidates from Osun Central and Osun East Senatorial Districts,” he said.
After the Osun West Senatorial District APC primary election that was held on Saturday, May 29, another contestant, Raheem Amidu Tadese, the former Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy was said to be the winner.
Also, delegates who had gathered at the Government House in Osogbo, stormed out of a meeting with the APC leaders, alleging that they wanted to compel them to sign blank result sheets.
