Ondo APC women, youths protest alleged imposition of assembly candidates

Tensions flared within Nigeria's Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as women and youth leaders staged a peaceful protest against the alleged imposition of candidates for the National Assembly. The demonstrators voiced their dissatisfaction with a purported list of candidates that they claim does not align with the outcomes of the party's primaries conducted in May.

Carrying placards with slogans like "Let our vote count" and "We say no to imposition," the protesters brought vehicular traffic to a halt on the Ilesha-Akure-Benin expressway. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Osamaye, stated that the women who participated in primaries across all 203 wards expected the published list to reflect the mandate given by party members.

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We know those we voted for and those who won at the polls. The list circulating online does not reflect our members’ mandate. We are demanding fairness, transparency and justice. Let the people’s votes count.

"We know those we voted for and those who won at the polls. The list circulating online does not reflect our members’ mandate. We are demanding fairness, transparency and justice. Let the people’s votes count," Osamaye told reporters. She appealed to the APC's national leadership to ensure the authentic primary results were upheld.

Bright Ojo, another protester, described the demonstration as an effort to defend the integrity of the party's internal democratic processes. He urged the APC leadership to respect the outcome of the direct primaries. Similarly, the APC Women Leader in Ondo State, Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, alleged that the names released did not represent the primary results. "We are crying against injustice. We had what we considered a credible election and expected the results to be announced accordingly. Instead, names of people we did not vote for were announced," she said, adding that the state leadership had presented authentic results to the national secretariat.

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We are crying against injustice. We had what we considered a credible election and expected the results to be announced accordingly. Instead, names of people we did not vote for were announced.