APC Denies Fielding Non-Indigene Candidate In Ekiti Reps Primaries

The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports alleging that a non-indigene emerged as the party’s House of Representatives candidate in its primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party said the claim was false and capable of provoking unnecessary ethnic tension within the state.

In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said all candidates who emerged from the primaries across the six federal constituencies in Ekiti State are indigenes of their respective areas.

He specifically refuted claims that an individual identified as Zaccheus Okoro emerged as a candidate, describing the report as misleading.

“The APC, Ekiti State chapter, did not announce any candidate named Zaccheus Okoro for any federal constituency, as is being falsely circulated in some quarters,” Dipe said.

He stressed that the party’s nomination process remained transparent and rooted in local representation, noting that political contests in Ekiti have historically been based on competence and development concerns rather than ethnicity.

According to him, the allegations were deliberate propaganda aimed at discrediting the outcome of the party’s primaries.

Dipe urged the public to disregard the report entirely, insisting that it was designed to create confusion and undermine confidence in the APC electoral process.

Meanwhile, the campaign directorate of the APC candidate for Ise/Orun, Ikere and Ekiti South West Federal Constituency I, Toyin Okoro, also dismissed the allegations concerning his identity.

In a statement, the campaign organisation described the claims as “mischievous ethnic blackmail” orchestrated by political opponents.

The group maintained that Okoro is a bona fide indigene of Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state and fully qualified to contest the election.

It urged residents to ignore what it called “cheap ethnic propaganda,” adding that opponents were attempting to shift attention away from real political issues ahead of the 2027 polls.