Breaking: Drama as 384 Candidates Drag APM to Court, Give Reasons
- Oyo's 33 chairmanship and 351 councillorship candidates of the APM in the state filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Ibadan
- The candidates emerged from primaries held on August 3, 2026, which were monitored by OYSIEC and whose results were submitted to the commission
- The suit followed reports that the APM National Chairman wanted the August 3 primaries nullified and a fresh exercise conducted
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Ibadan — Hundreds of Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidates in Oyo State have taken the party to court to block any attempt to rerun the primaries that produced them as the party's flag bearers for the forthcoming local government elections.
The 33 chairmanship and 351 councillorship candidates, who emerged from primaries held across the state on August 3, 2026, filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Ibadan. They named the APM, its National Chairman, the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
Source: Twitter
Oyo APM: What sparked the lawsuit
According to the statement sent to Legit.ng, the court documents, the August 3 primaries were conducted under the supervision of OYSIEC, and their results were formally submitted to the commission. The candidates said they went to court after reports emerged that the APM National Chairman was seeking to nullify those primaries and organise fresh ones.
According to the statement sent to Legit.ng, the dispute has its roots in a factional split within the party. Candidates backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde reportedly clashed with a separate set of candidates supported by prominent APM chieftain Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, creating a contest between two camps within the same party.
What the court is being asked to decide
The plaintiffs are asking the court to rule on three central questions. First, whether OYSIEC has the legal authority to accept or recognise more than one candidate nominated by the APM for the same local government or ward position, especially given that the commission had already supervised the August 3 exercise. Second, whether OYSIEC can legally monitor a second APM primary for positions already covered by the earlier exercise. Third, whether individuals whose names were not in the party's membership register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law are eligible to participate in any APM primary.
The candidates are asking the court to grant the declarations and orders set out in their Originating Summons, in a bid to protect the outcome of the August 3 primaries and prevent a parallel primary process from displacing them ahead of the Oyo State local government elections.
Makinde sends message to Oyo guber candidates
Legit.ng earlier reported that Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, called out governorship candidates who have been attacking him on the campaign trail.
Makinde, who cannot run for a third term, said candidates should direct their criticism at a named opponent instead.
The governor urged Oyo voters to demand concrete plans from candidates before deciding who to support in 2027.
Source: Legit.ng
