Fresh legal battles have intensified the internal crisis within the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with some aspirants contesting the outcome of the party’s National Assembly primary elections in court.
The Ondo APC primary suit is centred on the party’s decision to adopt direct primaries for the May 16, 2026 exercise, with the aggrieved aspirants questioning the legitimacy of candidates eventually submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). According to party sources, several of the aspirants pursuing legal action were reportedly among those whose nomination forms received financial support from allies of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Amid the growing dispute, Governor Aiyedatiwa has directed the Ondo APC Chairman, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde, to inaugurate a reconciliation committee aimed at resolving disagreements within the party.
The committee will be chaired by the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, who has been tasked with engaging aggrieved members and fostering peace ahead of future political activities. The reconciliation effort comes as court cases continue to test the party’s handling of the primary elections.
One of the major cases is before the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Pastor Akingboye Akinleke David is challenging the emergence of Hon. Donald Ojogo as the APC candidate for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1538/2026 and filed on July 15, 2026, lists the APC, INEC and Donald Ojogo as defendants.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Remi Peter Olatubora, is representing the plaintiff. In the suit, Akingboye is asking the court to determine whether the APC can lawfully submit to INEC the name of a candidate who allegedly did not emerge victorious during the direct primary election.
He also wants the court to decide whether INEC can accept such a nomination under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and the APC’s own guidelines. The plaintiff is seeking a declaration affirming that only the aspirant who secured the highest number of votes during the primary election should be recognised as the party’s candidate.
When contacted over the litigation, Donald Ojogo declined to comment, citing the matter’s pending status before the court. However, a senior APC chieftain defended the decision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), explaining that its final position was based on recommendations from the party’s appeal committee after reviewing petitions submitted by dissatisfied aspirants.
The party official also acknowledged that complaints had been raised over alleged irregularities involving some supporters of Governor Aiyedatiwa as well as members of the committee that conducted the primaries. As of the time of filing this report, the Federal High Court in Abuja had not fixed a hearing date for the Ondo APC primary suit.
