Ogun APC battles post-primary wounds, discontent ahead 2027

From the fallout involving former Governor Gbenga Daniel to Abayomi Hunye’s challenge of the governorship primary and Iyabo Obasanjo’s departure from the party, the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State is increasingly confronted with the task of managing internal discontent while seeking to retain its grip on the state, BANKOLE TAIWO writes

A bout five months to the 2027 elections, concerns are mounting over the ability of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State to reconcile aggrieved members and aspirants left dissatisfied by the party’s consensus arrangement ahead of its primaries.

There are fears among some party members and political observers that failure to genuinely pacify those who feel hurt by the process could affect the APC’s electoral fortunes in the state.

Weeks before the primaries, the party leadership, relying on a consensus arrangement, adopted candidates for the 2027 elections, including the governorship and National and State Assembly seats.

The subsequent primaries were largely conducted to affirm candidates who had already emerged through the consensus process.

While the arrangement was presented as a means of ensuring unity and avoiding rancour, it left some aspirants who had invested considerable resources and mobilised supporters for the contests disappointed.

One of the prominent fallouts was the departure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s daughter, Prof Iyabo Obasanjo, from the APC after her unsuccessful bid for the party’s governorship ticket.

Obasanjo subsequently joined the Peoples Democratic Party and secured its ticket for the Ogun Central Senatorial District, a seat she represented from 2007 to May 2011.

Similarly, the bid by former Ogun State Governor and incumbent Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, to secure the APC ticket for another term in the Senate met resistance after party stakeholders adopted Governor Dapo Abiodun as the party’s consensus candidate for the senatorial district.

Abiodun was subsequently declared the winner of the APC primary for the seat.

The development marked another chapter in the political disagreement between Daniel and Abiodun, which became more pronounced after the governor secured a second term in office in 2023.

There have been allegations that Daniel engaged in anti-party activities and worked against the APC’s victory in the 2023 governorship election. The former governor has, however, repeatedly denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and false.

Abiodun also recently said he had been warned against supporting Daniel’s ambition to return to the Senate in 2023.

For some party members, Daniel’s case remains one of the major issues the APC leadership must address if it wants to consolidate its hold on Ogun ahead of the 2027 elections.

A chieftain of the party, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said it would be unwise for the APC leadership to ignore those who felt aggrieved by the outcome of the consensus arrangement and primaries.

The source said, “Particularly, I would have loved that the party reached out to someone like Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who we all know is quite a formidable politician in the state.

“Many of his supporters are not happy with the way he was treated as regards the Senate ticket for Ogun East that was given to Governor Abiodun.

“It is believed that the supporters of the former governor might engage in protest votes against the party during the 2027 election to drive home their frustration with the leadership of the party.”

Whether such protest votes will materialise remains uncertain, but the development highlights the challenge before the APC as it attempts to maintain cohesion among its various tendencies.

Beyond the Daniel-Abiodun disagreement, another potentially damaging fault line has emerged from the party’s governorship contest involving Abayomi Hunye and Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.

Hunye, one of the aspirants who contested the APC governorship primary, recently insisted that he remained in the 2027 race and unveiled Otunba Abayomi Odunowo from Ijebu-Ode as his running mate.

Hunye said he was confident of emerging victorious after approaching the court to challenge the conduct of the party’s governorship primary, in which he was recorded as having polled no votes.

He argued that provisions in the amended Electoral Act gave him grounds to unveil his running mate, insisting that he had not withdrawn from the contest.

“They said they have made some appeals to me and I have stepped down. Some said it has been settled. I want to tell everybody in Ogun that that’s a big lie. I am still in the race.

“We are in court, and I believe that, at the end of the day, victory is mine. I had decided to keep quiet before, but two reasons made me change my mind,” Hunye said.

Explaining his decision, the aspirant said the law required a candidate challenging an electoral process in court to continue participating in subsequent stages of the process.

He said, “I looked at the new amended constitution. It said no court will oblige any candidate or aspirant that is challenging any candidate in court that refuses to participate in the process.

“The first process was the primary and the second process, starting on September 9, is the campaign.

“So, if you are sure that you are actually a candidate or, in turn, you have gone to court, you must also participate in the next phase of the election process.”

He added, “Nobody will get to the court and say, yes, he is qualified, he met all the criteria. But one thing, there was no evidence of campaigning.”

The party’s national leadership, however, said Hunye had been suspended from the APC and called on the police to investigate him for alleged impersonation.

Hunye disputed the claim, questioning why the party would have sold its N50m governorship nomination form to him and screened him if it knew he had been suspended.

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The controversy has also attracted the intervention of traditional rulers, with the Eselu of Iselu Kingdom, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, urging the APC leadership to resolve its internal disputes before they escalate.

Speaking to journalists recently, the monarch called on the party to put its house in order and find a way of resolving the brewing disagreement between Hunye and Adeola over the governorship ticket.

Akinyemi also questioned the reported zero votes recorded for Hunye during the governorship primary, describing the development as puzzling.

“I have been following the trend of the news, including the agitation and counter-agitation. I think we have to implore the party to call them together and resolve whatever differences they may have,” the monarch said.

“If Abayomi Hunye participated in the primaries, it is impossible for him to have scored zero votes because he would have at least voted for himself. So, who stole his vote?

“Even if the majority voted for Yayi, Hunye would not have cast his own vote for Yayi. Where did that single vote go?”

The monarch said the controversy raised questions that required clarification, particularly regarding Hunye’s participation in the primary and the recording of his vote.

“The core question is: what happened to his vote, and why was it not recorded? Had it been properly recorded, we might not be in this situation today,” he said.

Akinyemi urged the political actors to resolve their differences and avoid actions capable of unnecessarily heightening political tension, particularly on social media.

Ajayi resigns from SUBEB

Meanwhile, Pastor Abiodun Ajayi, a former Chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government and Permanent Member III of the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, has resigned his appointment with the board to take up his new role as Director-General of Iyabo Obasanjo’s Senate campaign.

Ajayi conveyed his decision in a resignation letter dated August 31 and addressed to Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The former council boss and trusted ally of Iyabo Obasanjo, the 2027 Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, thanked Abiodun for giving him the opportunity to serve in his administration and contribute to the development of education in the state.

Ajayi, however, said he had to leave the board because of his new political responsibilities, which could create competing demands and expectations.

It will be recalled that Obasanjo, the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, joined the ruling party in January but later left the APC after her unsuccessful bid to secure its governorship ticket.

The former Commissioner for Health and Senator representing Ogun Central from 2007 to 2011 had, among other allegations, accused the party leadership of persistent disrespect, rejection and maltreatment.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Ajayi confirmed his resignation but dismissed reports that it was a prelude to his defection from the APC to the opposition.

He explained, “I resigned my appointment with SUBEB about three days ago. I am grateful to the governor for giving me the opportunity to serve, but it is time for me to leave.

“I was the DG of Iyabo Obasanjo during her gubernatorial ambition under APC and she has equally appointed me to lead her Senate campaign. My resignation does not necessarily mean that I am decamping. Must you defect before you can serve?”

Political observers, however, maintained that Ajayi was being diplomatic and that his decision amounted to abandoning the ruling party for the opposition.

APC downplays discontent

For the APC leadership, however, the developments do not amount to an insurmountable crisis.

Responding to questions about what the party was doing to address post-primary disaffection, the state APC spokesperson, Femi Nuberu, said the leadership was already taking steps to preserve the party’s unity while operating within its constitution and the electoral laws.

Nuberu said political parties, like other organisations, could not completely eliminate disagreements because members would naturally have different interests and ambitions.

He said, “Political parties are integral to society, and as long as interests and ambitions continue to determine human actions and decisions, the possibility of friction cannot be totally eliminated.

“That is why associations, organisations and political parties have to exist by rules and regulations that are enshrined in their constitution.

“With respect to APC Ogun Chapter, the leadership of the party is not oblivious of the need to sustain the peace and unity in the party in the post-primary election.

“This is steadily on course without necessarily undermining the supremacy of the party constitution and guided by electoral laws. At any rate, every member of the party is at liberty to exercise his constitutional rights.”

With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the APC’s ability to manage its internal disagreements could prove as important as its campaign machinery.

For a party that has dominated the political landscape in Ogun in recent years, the challenge is no longer simply about producing candidates. It is about keeping those who lost out, those who feel marginalised and the various political blocs within its fold sufficiently engaged to prevent internal grievances from spilling into the general election.

Whether the party succeeds in healing the wounds created by the consensus arrangement and subsequent primaries may ultimately determine how united the APC enters the 2027 contest.