Ayodele Arise, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirant for the Ekiti North Senatorial District ticket, has condemned the party’s recent primary election as a sham, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene urgently in the growing crisis. The primary, held last month, was marred by widespread allegations of fraud and manipulation, with Arise and other contenders, including Dipo Bamisaye and Dare Owolabi, dismissing the outcome as illegitimate. The APC’s electoral committee declared incumbent Senator Cyril Fasuyi the winner, but the result has sparked intense backlash from opposition candidates who claim the process was rigged.
Arise, who previously represented Ekiti North in the Senate from 2007 to 2011, said the party’s internal democracy remains under serious threat. He emphasized that while Nigeria has a Constitution and election guidelines, these are often ignored in practice, especially during party primaries. “When we talk about internal democracy, it is still a very big challenge,” he stated. “It’s one thing for us to have a Constitution; it’s another thing for people to try to circumvent it or the guidelines for any election.”
He added that he entered the race not just to win, but to expose what he sees as systemic flaws in the APC’s electoral process. “That was demonstrated in no small measure when I tried to come back through the primary because I knew what was in the pipeline, so I went into it to prove a point,” Arise explained. He stressed that allowing such anomalies to go unchallenged would undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions. “It will be a shame if some of us passed through this country and we don’t have the voice to correct the anomalies and let people know that if we want to practice democracy, let us practice it.”
Arise expressed confidence that President Tinubu, who has shown a proactive stance on party governance, is aware of the issues and is working to resolve them. “I believe the chairman of the party has spoken with Mr. President, and I think they are looking at all the challenges, and I am sure those of us who worked and won our elections will be given our mandate in due course,” he said. He also pointed to state governors as a major obstacle to fair elections within the APC, noting that candidates who are not favored by governors face significant hurdles even when not directly competing against them.
The controversy has cast a shadow over the APC’s internal processes, raising questions about transparency and fairness. As the party prepares for upcoming elections, the outcome of this crisis could influence voter trust and political stability in Ekiti State and beyond. The situation underscores the need for stronger oversight and adherence to democratic principles within Nigeria’s political parties.
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