The results of the APC primary election in Ekiti North Senatorial District have been rejected by two aspirants, Ayodele Arise and Dare Owolabi. They claim that the election was marred by manipulation and falsification of the results.

The APC Senatorial Primary Election Committee had declared the incumbent senator, Dare Fasuyi, the winner of the exercise with 14,179 votes. However, both Arise and Owolabi insist they won the election based on the results from 33 wards where the voting exercise was completed.

According to Ayodele Arise, a former senator for the district, the results from 33 wards showed he scored 8,687 votes against Fasuyi's 7,755 votes before the process was allegedly disrupted in several areas. He also alleged that some ward results were altered to favour Fasuyi, citing Iludun I Ward in Ilejemeje Local Government Area, where he claimed votes recorded for him were reduced in the final declaration.

Ayodele Arise said, "I won the election and I have proof. I was rigged out by the system. The result doesn't represent the wishes of the people. What happened yesterday was fraught with irregularities, fraud, violence, and intimidation."

Dare Owolabi also alleged that the irregularities that characterised the exercise were planned, and the figures announced don't exist. He claimed that if the original figures from the wards where the election took place were announced, he would have won with 4,341 votes. He, therefore, called for the cancellation of the election.

The election isn't fair, and there are a lot of irregularities across the board, in different local governments, different wards, and different units. Dare Owolabi said, "We know our people, we know what they did, we know how people voted for us, we know our people are terrorised and chased out of the venues."

Owolabi, however, urged his supporters to remain calm, adding that the primary elections have gone and passed. "We'll fight the battle on the primary elections soon, but I want attention to be focused on the governorship election that's coming up next month, for all parties to join hands and bring back our governor," he said.

Dare Fasuyi, the declared winner of the election, has reacted to the allegations, describing them as baseless. He urged Ayodele Arise and Dare Owolabi to accept the outcome of the election in the interest of the party.

"I want to appeal to a respected leader of our great party, Senator Arise, to accept the outcome of the primary election in good faith and join hands with us to move the party forward," Fasuyi said.

Fasuyi, who's also the director-general of Governor Biodun Oyebanji's re-election campaign, questioned why anyone would expect him to lose the primary election as the incumbent lawmaker. He asked, "I'm the incumbent senator representing Ekiti North and also the director-general of Governor Biodun Oyebanji's re-election campaign. I've remained actively connected to the grassroots, and the people know the efforts we've made. So, why would anybody expect me to lose the primary?"

The APC Senatorial Primary Election Committee had announced the results of the election with the following votes: Fasuyi

  • 14,179, Arise
  • 4,868, Owolabi
  • 2,836, and Dipo Bamisaye
  • 3,694.
  • The APC primary election in Ekiti North Senatorial District was held on Monday.
  • Two aspirants, Ayodele Arise and Dare Owolabi, have rejected the results of the election.
  • The declared winner, Dare Fasuyi, got 14,179 votes.
  • Ayodele Arise claims he scored 8,687 votes against Fasuyi's 7,755 votes before the process was allegedly disrupted.
  • Dare Owolabi alleged that the irregularities that characterised the exercise were planned, and the figures announced don't exist.

The allegations of manipulation and falsification of the results have raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in Ekiti State. The APC National Working Committee is expected to address the concerns of the aggrieved aspirants and ensure that the election is free and fair.

The APC primary election in Ekiti North Senatorial District is a crucial step towards the general election in 2027, as it will determine the party's candidate. The party must ensure that the election is transparent and credible to maintain the trust of its members and the electorate.

The governorship election in Ekiti State is scheduled to hold on June 20, 2026. The APC and other political parties are expected to field their candidates for the election. The outcome of the primary election will determine the party's candidate for the governorship election.

In the meantime, the APC National Working Committee must investigate the allegations of manipulation and falsification of the results and take necessary actions to address the concerns of the aggrieved aspirants. This will help to maintain the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that the party's candidate is chosen through a free and fair election.

The people of Ekiti State are watching the developments in the APC primary election with keen interest. They expect the party to ensure that the election is transparent and credible. The APC can't afford to disappoint them.

The fate of the APC in the 2027 general election depends on the outcome of the primary election. The party must ensure that its candidate is chosen through a free and fair election to maintain the trust of its members and the electorate. If they don't, they won't be able to move forward with a strong candidate.