APC Summons Aiyedatiwa As Court Halts Congress In Ondo

By Ademu Idakwo, Abuja; Damilola Origbemisuyi, Akure; Aza Msue, Kaduna

The crisis in some state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) deepened yesterday as the Federal High Court, Akure, halted the party’s planned state congress in Ondo State scheduled for today, March 3, 2026.

There are also internal wrangling in the Delta and Benue chapters of the ruling party.

In Ondo State, Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke granted an ex parte order restraining both the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the exercise pending the determination of a substantive suit filed by aggrieved members.

The suit, initiated by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adedayo Adedeji on behalf of Lawrence Adebayo and 7,427 APC members, challenges the legitimacy of the ward and local government congresses held on February 18 and 21, which the plaintiffs described as unlawful. They argued that the proposed state congress was built on the disputed outcomes.

In her ruling, Justice Adegoke restrained the APC and INEC from recognising, accepting or giving effect to the controversial ward and local government congresses.

She further stopped the party, its officers and agents from conducting or concluding any state congress in Ondo State until the suit is resolved.

She also ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, warning against any action that may prejudice the fair hearing of the case.

The hearing was adjourned to March 26, 2026.

The APC National Working Committee had earlier approved March 3 for the state congress, with the Ondo State publicity secretary, Alex Kalejaye, inviting statutory delegates and party stakeholders to participate, but the court’s intervention has thrown the arrangement into uncertainty.

Amid the legal setback, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was again summoned to Abuja by the APC National Working Committee on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Although it was not immediately clear whether the summons was directly connected to the court order, party sources said the governor’s sudden trip was linked to concerns over his handling of stakeholder engagements ahead of the aborted congress.

According to a source within the NWC, the governor had earlier been invited by the President to brief him on the state of the party following violent incidents recorded during the ward congresses in some local government areas.

The latest summons, the source added, followed Aiyedatiwa’s alleged refusal to heed the advice of both the Presidency and the NWC to harmonise interests through broad consultations before the state congress.

“He defied the wise counsel to dialogue with all stakeholders. The governor blatantly refused, and here we are now,” the source said.

When contacted, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka declined to speak on the matter, saying he was in Delta State for another party assignment.

Delta APC chairmanship contest divided old, new members

In Delta State, fresh tension has also emerged as the Delta State APC Coalition for Equity accused party officials of deliberately withholding State Chairmanship Nomination Forms from aspirants who had paid in full.

In a statement signed by Ambassador Felix Datuowei and Kenchad Rafua, the group said the refusal to release the forms amounted to administrative obstruction and a violation of the rights of card-carrying members to contest in a democratic process.

The coalition alleged undue influence by recently defected members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), claiming that there were moves to impose former PDP Chairman Chief Solomon Arayinka as APC state chairman and Elder Moses Idu as deputy chairman.

They warned that importing PDP structures into the APC would marginalise long-standing party members and erode internal democracy.

The coalition demanded the immediate release of the nomination forms and a new date for a proper state congress. It urged APC members not to travel to Asaba for what it called a compromised exercise.

It also appealed to President Tinubu, APC National Chairman Professor Abdullahi Nentawe, and the NWC to intervene urgently to restore fairness and credibility to the process.

Gov Alia, SGF Akume factions plan parallel congresses

In Benue State, the rivalry between camps loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume intensified yesterday as both factions concluded arrangements to conduct parallel state congresses.

Each camp had earlier conducted separate ward and local government congresses that produced parallel executives across the state.

The faction loyal to Governor Alia, led by Chief Ben Omale, announced that its state congress would be held at IBB Square, Makurdi, with its organising secretary, James Ornguga, confirming that APC congress committee members from the national headquarters had already met with INEC officials to finalise preparations.

The faction loyal to Akume, led by Austin Agada, also unveiled its own congress planning committee, headed by a former ambassador, Prof. Iorwuese Hagher.