—-We’re appealing, not protesting

By Dayo Johnson Akure

The 18 Local Government Chairmen in Ondo State have asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the dispute over the APC Appeal Committee’s decision to overturn primary results in several constituencies in the state.

Chairmen, under the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, said Tinubu’s intervention would calm aggrieved party members protesting the move to hand automatic tickets to two senators and six House of Representatives members.

The state ALGON Chairman, Dr. Gbenga Fasua, said the council bosses, as Chief Security Officers of their LGAs, witnessed no violence or malpractice to justify nullifying the initial primaries.

Addressing a press conference at the NUJ Press Centre in Akure, Fasua, flanked by other chairmen, insisted the primaries they supervised were “free, fair and credible.”

“There was no reason to change the decision of the majority of party members,” he said.

Fasua noted that the primaries, held between May 16 and 23, 2026, were conducted by duly constituted electoral committees and produced winners through a transparent process.

He expressed concern that names different from those who emerged at the polls later surfaced as candidates.

The chairmen said they were not challenging the party leadership but seeking a review based on results announced during the elections.

“If the National Working Committee fails to agree with our position, we are not making a protest. We want that to be clear. We are appealing to the National Working Committee,” Fasua said.

“Whatever the party decision, the party decision is supreme. We abide by the party decision. We are party lovers.”

“We are not here to make a protest. We are pleading. As chief security officers of these 18 local governments where the elections took place, we were there. We monitored and we had the results that were announced.

He stressed that their intervention was to protect the credibility of the process and the confidence of members who voted.

In a letter to President Tinubu, the chairmen commended his commitment to democratic values and praised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for maintaining peace and unity in the state.

“On behalf of our people, our stand is to appeal. What we are trying to do is, based on the election conducted here, to uphold the decision of the election.

“We stand by both the primary conducted here and the decision which was the outcome,” Fasua said.

The chairmen reaffirmed loyalty to the APC and urged members to remain united pending the party’s final decision.