ABEOKUTA– Allegations of political manipulation and irregularities has marred the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries in Abeokuta North state constituency.
An APC aspirant, Hon. Durojaye Damilola Uthman, popularly known as Eni-Afe-Lamo, has openly rejected what he described as attempts by party leaders to undermine the will of party members in favour of the incumbent lawmaker and Deputy Chief Whip of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Tella O. Babatunde.
Speaking with newsmen, Eni-Afe-Lamo accused some APC leaders and stakeholders of allegedly frustrating the democratic process after sensing overwhelming support for his candidacy.
According to him, the direct primary election was initially agreed upon by party stakeholders as the acceptable process for selecting the party’s candidate.
“When the party called us on the process of choosing candidates, we agreed on direct primaries where everybody would stand openly behind their preferred aspirant”, he said.
The aggrieved aspirant alleged that the primary process was abruptly disrupted after party officials reportedly discovered the large number of supporters backing his ambition.
“They counted my co-contesting candidate and he got 113 votes. But when it was time to count my own supporters, some leaders started saying, ‘Ẹ jẹ ka ma lọ, ibo ọmọ yẹn pọ’, meaning, ‘Let us leave, that young man has too many votes”, he alleged.
Eni-Afe-Lamo further accused some influential party figures of intimidation and political interference, insisting that the actions of certain leaders were contrary to democratic principles and internal party fairness.
“This is not the democracy we crave. They believe youth cannot do it. If they do not believe in our ability, then let the people use their votes to decide”, he declared.
The visibly agitated politician also appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the APC national leadership to ensure justice and transparency within the party’s internal processes.
“What I want to tell Mr. President is that this is not the progressive system he promised Nigerians. I know President Tinubu is a man of the people who believes in fairness and justice. What I want is my mandate because my people came out en masse to vote for me”, he said, as supporters cheered loudly.
The controversy deepened as Eni-Afe-Lamo alleged that some party stakeholders had been financially induced to frustrate the exercise and allegedly pave the way for Hon. Tella Babatunde’s return for a second term.
He specifically alleged that certain leaders openly admitted financial inducement influenced their actions.
“Alhaji Faidat said to my face that Honorable Tella gave her ₦10 million so the owner of the money could sit comfortably. Is the position for sale?” he queried.
However, reacting to the allegations, Hon. Babatunde Tella and the Abeokuta North APC Chairperson, Alhaja Faidat Sarumi Akintunde, separately dismissed the claims as false, malicious, and politically motivated.
Tella insisted that the APC primary election conducted across the 16 wards of Abeokuta North was “free, fair, and transparent”, stressing that he never offered money or inducement to influence the process.
“The delegates and party members voted voluntarily based on their convictions and trust in my capabilities”, he stated, accusing Eni-Afe-Lamo of resorting to “blackmail and character assassination” after losing the contest.
Similarly, Alhaja Faidat strongly denied the allegation that she received ₦10 million from Tella, describing the accusation as “an absolute lie”.
She maintained that her responsibility as local government party chairperson was to ensure peace, order and fairness throughout the exercise.
“I challenge him to provide proof instead of attempting to divide the party with false accusations”, she said, urging party members and the public to disregard what she described as baseless blackmail capable of creating unnecessary tension within the APC in Abeokuta North.
He further claimed that some APC leaders had persistently spread rumours that he had stepped down from the race despite publicly reaffirming his ambition days earlier through radio appearances and consultations with party members.
According to party members and supporters present at the venue, no conclusive primary election was eventually conducted for the Abeokuta North State Constituency following the boycott and disagreement among stakeholders.
The development has since generated intense debate among APC loyalists in Abeokuta North, with many grassroots supporters insisting that the votes and voices of ordinary party members must be respected.
