Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
THE Allied People’s Movement (APM), Oriire Local Government Chapter in Oyo State, has affirmed Hon. Ojetunde Oluwole Sunday JP as its authentic chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming local government election.
The party said Ojetunde emerged from a valid, peaceful and transparent primary election conducted on 3 August 2026.
In a statement signed by the party’s Primary Election Returning Official, Areo Babatunde, the APM said the exercise was witnessed by representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to the party, the primary was conducted by registered APM members who participated in the party congress, with their names subsequently submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The APM said OYSIEC officials were present to monitor the exercise and signed the relevant documents in line with the provisions of the OYSIEC law, while security agencies were also deployed throughout the process.
The statement further specifically added that the primaries was witnessed jointly by the DSS representative, AW Omigbire; OYSIEC official, AJ Oke; and NSCDC official, DSC Dorcas Ogundipe.
It reaffirmed that at the end of the primary, Ojetunde was declared the winner and emerged as the party’s chairmanship candidate for Oriire Local Government.
The party further said 10 councillorship candidates, representing Wards 1 to 10, also emerged from the exercise.
The development, however, comes amid reports of a parallel claim over the APM chairmanship ticket in Oriire Local Government.
Reports circulating on social media have alleged that the party’s chairmanship ticket was ceded to Adigun Omoleader Afeez Tijani, a former member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who reportedly defected to the APM but did not participate in the 3 August primary.
The reports further claimed that Tijani’s emergence was facilitated by Otunba Seye Famojuro and endorsed by Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
Tijani was reportedly described as one of the grassroots politicians who played a role in the 2019 campaign that brought Governor Makinde to power, alongside Alhaja Mulikat Adeola.
However, the reports could not be independently verified by Stonix News as of the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the development, Ojetunde described the alleged substitution of his candidacy as a “travesty of justice”, insisting that he remains the legitimate APM candidate produced by the recognised primary.
Ojetunde said there were two factions within the political structure involved in the dispute, identifying one with Alhaji Adebisi Aremu Olopoeyan and the other with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Makinde.
He said he belonged to the Olopoeyan camp and alleged that the group was being denied political positions.
Ojetunde called on the relevant electoral authorities and the public to recognise him as the authentic APM candidate, stressing that his emergence followed the party primary conducted on 3 August.
The APM Oriire Local Government Chapter also urged OYSIEC, the party’s state leadership and members of the public to recognise the outcome of the 3 August primary as the only valid primary conducted by the chapter.
The controversy comes as political parties in Oyo State intensify preparations for the forthcoming local government elections and conclude their candidate nomination processes.
