Ekiti North APC Senatorial primary failed to meet standard – Dare Owolabi demands cancellation 

A senatorial aspirant for Ekiti North Senatorial District, Otunba Oluwadare Owolabi, has called for the cancellation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary election held on Monday, May 18, 2026, citing alleged irregularities and violence during the exercise.

Owolabi made the demand while addressing journalists shortly after the primaries conducted across the district, which covers Ikole, Oye, Moba, Ilejemeje and Ido-Osi local government areas of Ekiti State.

According to him, the process failed to meet democratic standards and should not be regarded as a credible primary election. 

“There was no proper accreditation and the votes were not counted the way they should have been counted. What happened yesterday cannot be described as a free and fair election,” he said.

The aspirant alleged that officials deployed to supervise the election were government employees, compromising the neutrality of the exercise.

He also accused organizers of deliberately disrupting the venue, creating panic among party members and supporters.

“People ran for their lives because the venue became chaotic. I consider what happened an act of terrorism against democracy,” Owolabi maintained. 

He rejected the result announced after the exercise, stating that the figures credited to him did not reflect the actual votes cast by his supporters.

While the official result allocated to him was about 2,800 votes, he said reports from his supporters indicated he secured about 4,341 votes.

“The result announced yesterday was not correct. The votes attributed to me were far below what my supporters confirmed,” Owolabi said.

Owolabi called for the immediate cancellation of the primary and demanded a fresh exercise conducted under a transparent and credible process. 

Ekiti North APC Senatorial primary failed to meet standard – Dare Owolabi demands cancellation