HoA Primary: Obokun APC Members Protest, Allege Wole Oke Of Manipulating Result
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State on Thursday staged a protest at the state secretariat of the party in Osogbo, alleging plot to manipulate the outcome of the recently held House of Assembly primary election in the area.
The protesters accused the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Hon. Wole Oke, of attempt to replace the declared winner with the first runner-up.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Give us our mandate,” “Respect the will of the people,” and “Let people’s votes count,” the demonstrators said the primary was conducted peacefully and produced a clear winner in Mr. Gbenga Falope.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Oyewole Oyebanji maintained that the primary was conclusive and that Falope secured a decisive victory with 2,594 votes.
Oyebanji said any attempt to overturn the result would undermine internal democracy and erode trust in the party ahead of the 2026 general elections.
“We went for the primary election on Wednesday and at the end of the day, Gbenga Falope won the primary election with 565 votes. He scored 2594 to defeat his nearest contestant who got 2020,” he stated.
Oyebanji added, “However, after the conclusion of the primary- process and movement to Osogbo for the issuance/documentation of nomination forms, the process suddenly became questionable and suspicious.
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“We strongly believe and have credible information that Hon. Oluwole Oke, Member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, interfered in the process and influenced the unlawful withholding/removal of the nomination form meant for the House
of Assembly position.”
The protesters called on the leadership of the APC in the state to intervene urgently and validate the outcome of the primary.
“Falope is the winner and we will not accept injustice, manipulation, or the twisting of the democratic voice of APC members in Obokan Local Government. The peace, unity, and future electoral success of the APC depend on fairness, transparency, and respect for internal democracy.
“The era where the wishes of party members are ignored and replaced with personal political interests must come to an end. We therefore strongly call on the leadership of APC in Obokun and Osun State to urgently intervene and ensure that the authentic outcome of the primary election is respected,” Oyebanji said.
He warned that continued imposition of candidates could cost the party support in the area ahead of the August 15 gubernatorial election.
“If the party fails to do anything about it, we will withdraw our support for the APC gubernatorial candidate because we cannot be in a party where the people we called leaders will be shortchanging us,” he noted.
But when contacted for reaction, Oke’s media aide, Tunde Omolebi-Sunday, described the allegations against the federal lawmaker as misleading, “and entirely mischievous.”
Omolebi-Sunday, further disclosed that Oke should not be associated with matters that are clearly beyond his jurisdiction.
“As Director-General of the Osun APC Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Hon. Oluwole Oke has no role whatsoever in the conduct, supervision, or determination of State House of Assembly primary election outcomes. Any claim to the contrary is a gross distortion of facts and a calculated attempt to mislead the public,” Omolebi-Sunday said
Although he acknowledged the members’ legitimate right to express grievances, including through protests, he warned that such rights must be exercised responsibly.
He said, “They do not extend to the propagation of baseless accusations or the unwarranted targeting of individuals for issues outside their purview. All grievances should be directed to the appropriate party organs and duly constituted appeal committees established to address such concerns, rather than being weaponised through unfounded public attacks. The attempt to draw Hon. Oluwole Oke into these matters is not only misplaced but also reflects a weak effort to mask disappointment with conspiracy.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
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