—- Submits APC form

By Dayo Johnson Akure

A senatorial aspirant for Ondo North, Chief Alexander Oluremi Ajipe, said that sidelining Owo and Ose Local Government Areas in picking the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate would be “unjust and electoral suicide” for the party.

Ajipe spoke after formally submitting his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, marking his official entry into the race.

The APC stalwart and former South-West Zonal Director for Social and Humanitarian Affairs in the Presidential Campaign Committee described his candidacy as “a movement for equity, inclusion, and party unity,” not personal ambition.

He noted that Owo LGA last produced a Senator in 2007 and has since remained in the political background despite consistently delivering strong support for APC candidates statewide.

“For 20 years, Owo has waited, mobilised, and stayed loyal to the party,” Ajipe said.

“We have supported others and carried the party on our shoulders. Now we are ready, united, and demanding equity. This is not a plea; it is an assertion of our rightful turn.”

Ajipe stressed that Owo and Ose LGAs jointly control the largest voting bloc in Ondo North.

“They consistently deliver the highest poll numbers in the district. Any attempt to sideline these two areas is not only unjust, it is electoral suicide for the APC,” he said.

He warned that opposition parties are watching and could exploit any perceived injustice in the APC primary. “A rigged or imposed primary will breed disillusionment, trigger defections, and fuel voter apathy.

“What we have seen in other states can replay here if the party fails to conduct a free, fair, and transparent primary,” he added.

Citing his experience during the 2023 presidential campaign, Ajipe said building the party’s grassroots base across the South-West taught him that long-term victory depends on fairness, inclusion, and listening to the grassroots.

He called on the APC National Working Committee and the Ondo State leadership to ensure the Ondo North primary reflects the numerical strength and democratic aspirations of Owo and Ose.

“Equity delayed for 20 years is justice denied,” he said. “Give us a level playing field, let the most popular aspirant emerge, and we will defend Ondo North for the APC. Ignore the call for fairness, and the party will pay a heavy price at the polls.”

“The question is not whether Owo and Ose can win,”

“The question is whether the party has the political courage to do what is fair and just. Listen now, or expect the consequences in 2027.” Ajipe declared.