Dare Babalola
Former Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Ayo Arise, has raised serious allegations over the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in the district, describing the exercise as “fake, conjured and predetermined.”
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the former lawmaker warned that failure to correct the outcome could attract political consequences.
Arise accused unnamed actors within the party of manipulating results and imposing figures that, according to him, did not reflect the actual voting that took place across wards in the senatorial district.
He claimed that in several polling units, reported turnout figures were inconsistent with the number of registered members, alleging that results were compiled outside legitimate collation processes.
Arise also alleged that violence and intimidation were recorded during the exercise, including attacks on party members and his supporters.
He said some of his agents were assaulted, insisting that such incidents undermined the credibility of the primary election.
He maintained that his demand was not driven by personal conflict but by a call for internal justice within the party. In his words:
He warned, “There will be consequences if APC fails to restore my mandate. I am not fighting anyone; I am only asking that my rights be restored.”
The former lawmaker urged the leadership of the APC to urgently investigate the alleged irregularities and take corrective steps, insisting that the integrity of the party’s internal democracy must be protected.
He further dismissed suggestions of inducement or compromise, saying he remained committed to the party while reserving the right to challenge what he described as a flawed process.
