By Adeola Badru

The crisis surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Oluyole Federal Constituency has taken a legal turn, with an aspirant, Abiodun Gbolagade, asking the Federal High Court to restore what he described as his mandate after insisting he legitimately won the party’s primary.

Speaking with journalists, Gbolagade said he approached the court following what he alleged was the wrongful declaration of the incumbent member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, as the APC candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election.

The APC chieftain maintained that the primary election was conducted through the direct primary system in strict compliance with the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.

He said coalition centres across the constituency had been communicated to all aspirants before the exercise.

According to him, all the aspirants participated in the primary except Akande-Sadipe, whom he alleged did not appear at any of the designated coalition centres.

“The primary election was conducted at the approved coalition centres known to every aspirant. Virtually all the contestants were present except Honourable Tolulope Akande-Sadipe. The results were collated and I was declared the winner at the party office,” he said.

Gbolagade claimed he secured 2,315 votes in the primary, while Akande-Sadipe polled 33 votes, insisting that the outcome reflected the will of APC members in Oluyole Federal Constituency.

He further alleged that despite the declaration of the results, what he described as “fake reports” later surfaced online claiming that the incumbent lawmaker had emerged victorious.

Gbolagade said the development compelled him and his supporters to seek legal redress rather than resort to self-help.

“We decided to follow the rule of law. We have taken the matter to court because we believe the mandate of APC members in Oluyole Federal Constituency must be protected,” he stated.

The aspirant disclosed that the suit had already been filed before the Federal High Court and that the matter had recently come up for its first hearing.

He also alleged that attempts by court officials to serve Akande-Sadipe with court processes had been unsuccessful, claiming that she could no longer be found at her known residence within the constituency.

Despite the development, Gbolagade said he remained confident that the judiciary would resolve the dispute fairly, stressing that the matter was now before the court.

Recounting events leading to the primary election, the APC stalwart alleged that Akande-Sadipe had informed him in 2023 that she would not seek another term in office and had encouraged him to contest for the seat.

He said that after extensive consultations with party leaders, family members and political stakeholders, he agreed to join the race and subsequently committed substantial resources to rebuilding the APC structure in Oluyole Federal Constituency.

The APC chieftain said the party’s grassroots structure had become inactive before his intervention, prompting him to fund mobilisation efforts, welfare programmes and membership drives aimed at revitalising the APC ahead of the elections.

“I accepted to contest because the leaders said the party needed someone with the capacity to rebuild it. We worked hard to strengthen the structure and attract members back to the APC,” he said.

Gbolagade also claimed that opinion polls conducted online among APC supporters before the primary election showed that he enjoyed broader acceptance among party members.

He further alleged that both the state and national leadership of the APC were aware of the controversy surrounding the primary and had been urged by stakeholders in Oluyole Federal Constituency to respect what they described as the authentic outcome of the election.

He also referred to protests staged by party members in the constituency, saying the demonstrators rejected alleged attempts to substitute the outcome of the primary election.

Gbolagade noted the APC leadership in Oyo State appealed for calm and assured party members that their concerns would be reviewed.

Responding to speculation that his supporters might defect to another political party over the dispute, Gbolagade dismissed the suggestion, insisting that he remained loyal to the APC.

“We are members of APC and we are already preparing for the general election. Our confidence is in the judicial process, and we believe the mandate will be restored,” he said.

He added that his supporters would continue mobilising for the APC ahead of the 2027 general election while awaiting the court’s determination of the case.