Declare Fajemirokun-Ajayi winner of Reps’ primaries in Ondo, protesters tell APC

Hundreds of women and youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday staged a protest in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, urging the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to declare Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi as winner of the House of Representatives primary for the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency.

The protesters, who marched through major streets in Odigbo, insisted that the votes cast during the primary should be respected and alleged that the outcome was being manipulated in favour of another aspirant.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Respect the will of the people,” “Every vote must count,” “Return our mandate now,” and “Let democracy prevail in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo,” they called on the APC leadership to uphold the outcome of the exercise.

The demonstrators, who declared support for House of Representatives aspirant Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi, alleged that a “fake result” was being circulated despite what they claimed was her victory at the primary.

Addressing journalists, the APC Women Leader in Odigbo, Bukola Oyinkansola, appealed to the party’s leadership to ensure justice and protect the votes cast by members across the constituency.

She expressed confidence in the leadership of the APC, Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and President Bola Tinubu, saying they would ensure that the genuine outcome of the primary prevails.

“We have come out to reject the fake list being circulated because it does not reflect the choice of our members. We voted for Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi and we want the authentic result released,” she said.

Also speaking, the APC Youth Leader in Odigbo, Ebenezer Osunkiyesi, alleged that attempts were being made to impose a candidate on the constituency, warning that such a move could create disaffection within the party.

“We know the outcome of the primary and we do not want any manipulation. We appeal to President Bola Tinubu and the party leadership to ensure justice so that our party remains united,” he said.

Similarly, the Publicity Secretary to the Orunja of Odigbo Kingdom, Adetayo Adebayo, urged the APC national leadership not to tamper with what he described as the original results.

“We stand by the mandate of Hon. Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi. The votes of our people must count,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, no official declaration from the party was available to confirm the winner of the constituency’s primary poll.

The protest came amid growing concerns and petitions from some APC stakeholders in Ondo State over the outcome of the party’s recently concluded primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.