Ekiti South Constituency II House of Representatives aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prince Adeolu Tinubu, has petitioned the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, to nullify the May 15, 2026 primary over what he described as “brazen electoral fraud, violence and voter intimidation.”
In the petition submitted to the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Tinubu asked the party to immediately cancel results from Ekiti East and Ayekire, Gbonyin, Local Government Areas, insisting the exercise was hijacked by thugs allegedly loyal to incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Olufemi Bamisile.
The Emure Ekiti-born aspirant accused the Bamisile camp of orchestrating attacks on his agents, disenfranchising voters, and manipulating results in clear violation of the Electoral Act 2026.
“Supporters and agents of my campaign were beaten, harassed and chased away from polling units by political thugs sponsored by Hon. Olufemi Bamisile,” Tinubu alleged. “The process was marred by non-accreditation of voters, over-voting, illegal manipulation of results, and outright rigging in favour of the incumbent.”
Citing Sections 77(3), 77(5), 78 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Section 227 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu argued that no election conducted under intimidation and violence can stand in law. He warned that validating the flawed process would damage APC’s credibility and betray the principles of internal democracy.
“I, Hon. Philip Adeolu Tinubu, hereby lodge this appeal against the conduct of the APC House of Representatives primary held on 15th May 2026 on the ground that same was conducted in unconcealed and barefaced contravention of the Electoral Act, 2026,” the petition read in part.
“The purported primary was marred with irregularities, crisis, humiliation, intimidation, harassment and the disenfranchisement of my supporters by thugs sponsored by Hon. Olufemi Bamisile. The election was massively rigged in Ekiti East and Ayekire/Gbonyin Local Governments.
“Flowing from these facts, there is no doubt the conduct of the primary was marred with crises, irregularities, intimidation and manipulation of votes in favour of Hon. Olufemi Bamisile. Hence, the said election was not conducted under a free and fair atmosphere and should be declared null and void and cancelled without further delay.”
Tinubu urged the Yilwatda-led National Working Committee to act swiftly and uphold justice, fairness and the rule of law by ordering a fresh, credible primary in the affected councils.
