A member of the House of Representatives representing Apapa Federal Constituency, Dr. Adesola Adedayo, has challenged the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election held on May 16, alleging massive irregularities during the exercise.
Adedayo, who contested in the party’s House of Representatives primary, lodged a formal petition before the APC Electoral Appeals Committee, accusing party officials and some participants of compromising the credibility of the process in several wards across the constituency.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos, the lawmaker alleged that the primary election in Wards A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J was riddled with electoral malpractice, violence and the disenfranchisement of genuine party members.
He argued that the alleged irregularities significantly distorted the outcome of the exercise, insisting that the results declared from the affected wards could not be regarded as credible.
According to Adedayo, some of the infractions recorded during the exercise included the alleged use of fake APC registration slips by individuals who were not recognised party members, absence of proper accreditation for electoral officers and agents, attacks on supporters, as well as the disruption and abandonment of voting and collation procedures.
“The admission of forged voters is not a procedural irregularity.
“It is a deliberate breach of the foundational requirement that primary elections reflect the will of party members only,” he said.
The federal lawmaker further claimed that thousands of APC members were denied the opportunity to vote after officials overseeing the election allegedly abandoned the process around 6:00 p.m. while counting was still ongoing.
“At the time the process was abandoned, voting had not been concluded and results had not been officially announced.While over 3,000 registered party members were still waiting in queue to vote,” he said.
Adedayo also alleged that some of his supporters came under attack at Ward H on Amusu Street during the primary, claiming armed thugs disrupted the exercise.
“An election conducted in an environment of violence, without accreditation and without regard for the safety of voters cannot be said to have been conducted fairly or lawfully,” he said.
The aspirant disclosed that documentary materials, including sworn affidavits, photographs and video evidence, were attached to the petition submitted to the appeals committee.
He urged the committee to invalidate the results from the disputed wards and direct the conduct of a fresh primary election to be monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Adedayo also demanded disciplinary action against officials allegedly linked to the controversial conduct of the exercise.
He maintained that the alleged breaches violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the APC constitution, stressing that the integrity of the party’s internal democratic process had been seriously undermined.
“I trust that the Committee will act decisively to restore the integrity of the APC’s internal democracy,” he added.
