Ayodele Arise, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress and a contender for the Ekiti North Senatorial District ticket, has strongly criticized the party’s primary election, calling it a farce. He is urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address the chaos that has followed the exercise.
Speaking over the weekend, Arise pointed to state governors as a significant obstacle hindering a transparent primary process within the APC. He stressed that the committee tasked with overseeing the election declared incumbent Senator Cyril Fasuyi the winner, but Arise and other aspirants, including Dipo Bamisaye and Dare Owolabi, have rejected this result, alleging widespread fraud and manipulation.
Arise, who previously represented the district from 2007 to 2011, maintained that the primary lacked integrity and accused the party of merely paying lip service to the resulting crisis. He emphasized the gap between having a constitution or guidelines and actually adhering to them in practice.
“When we speak about internal democracy, it remains a huge challenge,” Arise stated. “It is one matter to have a constitution; it is another to see people deliberately violate it or the election guidelines. That was clearly shown during my attempt to return through this primary. I knew what was coming, so I participated to make a point.”
He added, “It would be a disgrace if some of us who have passed through this country fail to speak out against these irregularities and inform people that if we intend to practice democracy, we must do so properly. If not, that is a different matter altogether.”
Arise expressed hope that party leadership, including the chairman and President Tinubu, are examining the issues and that those who legitimately won their races will eventually receive their mandates. He praised the President for being proactive in addressing such challenges and making corrections before it is too late.
“The issue of governors remains a major barrier when it comes to Senate elections,” Arise noted. “Even if you are not running against them, if you are not their preferred candidate, your chances become extremely difficult.”