Tension has gripped the Kwara State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following widespread allegations of compromise, external interference, and candidate imposition in the ongoing primary elections. These concerns culminated in a chaotic disruption of the House of Representatives primary election for the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in Kwara South, which was abruptly halted on Saturday after suspected political thugs invaded voting centres.

The primary, conducted through the direct voting method, saw a massive turnout of registered party members in locations like Arandun in Irepodun Local Government Area and Ekan in Oke-Ero Local Government Area. Despite the early gathering of party faithful, anxiety and suspicion grew as officials from the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security agencies allegedly failed to arrive at the venues until approximately 3 PM, delaying the commencement of the exercise.

The situation rapidly degenerated into violence following the arrival of a group of suspected political thugs, reportedly led by former Kwara State Commissioner for Sports, Pharmacist Kale Ayo. According to eyewitnesses and video evidence, these thugs engaged in scuffles with Nigerian police officers as party members attempted to resist the disruption. Aggrieved APC members accused Kale Ayo of attempting to influence the process in favour of Hon. Gani Abolarin, the incumbent lawmaker for Ekiti Constituency, who seeks elevation to the House of Representatives.

Sources at the scene indicated that Kale Ayo allegedly asserted he was acting under instructions from influential forces within the Kwara State Government and the APC leadership to ensure Abolarin's emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections. This purported move was met with strong resistance from supporters of other aspirants and numerous party members, who insisted on a transparent and democratic election free from intimidation or external interference. The confrontation escalated into physical altercations, necessitating intervention from security operatives who ultimately escorted INEC officials out of the venue as the peaceful conclusion of the exercise became impossible, leaving party members outraged, particularly questioning Kale Ayo's involvement as he is neither a party executive in the constituency nor an indigene of the federal constituency.

These localized disruptions are part of a broader pattern of complaints, with aggrieved aspirants accusing committees dispatched from the APC national secretariat of compromising the primary election processes. These committees are alleged to have operated in secrecy, holding meetings in undisclosed locations and failing to engage with contestants, which has significantly undermined confidence in the credibility of the entire exercise and fueled fears of predetermined outcomes.

Specific accusations were leveled against Duro Meseko, head of the monitoring team from the APC national headquarters. Aspirants alleged that Meseko led committee members directly into the Government House upon arrival in Kwara State, bypassing traditional protocols that require committees to maintain neutrality and conduct formal engagements with all aspirants after a courtesy visit to the governor. Crucially, established procedures such as briefings on electoral guidelines, accreditation, voting arrangements, collation, and dispute resolution mechanisms were reportedly ignored, deepening suspicion among stakeholders that the process had been compromised from the outset.

Further intensifying the controversy, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who also chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, stands accused by party stakeholders of openly defying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC national leadership regarding efforts to influence the primaries. Insiders claim the governor hijacked the activities of the primary election committees, allegedly handing them lists of preferred aspirants and predetermined outcomes, particularly for the House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries. He is also accused of orchestrating the screening out of several House of Assembly aspirants deemed politically independent or disloyal to his structure, aiming to control the future composition of the Kwara State House of Assembly and, by extension, the governorship succession dynamics.

Aggrieved aspirants cited instances where directives were allegedly issued on how to write results for candidates endorsed by the governor’s camp, enabled by the alleged compromise of some primary election committee members prioritizing financial inducements over credible elections. Many contestants now view the media as their only recourse, fearing intimidation and political victimization if they speak openly. This perceived destruction of internal party democracy has led several aspirants to consider legal action and formal petitions to the APC national leadership, as tension continues to escalate within the state chapter.