Oyo Local Government Election: APM Candidates Drag Party To Court

The 33 chairmanship and 351 councillorship candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State have dragged the party before the Federal High Court in Ibadan over reports of a fresh primary election for the forthcoming local government elections.

The plaintiffs, who emerged as candidates from the APM local government and councillorship primaries conducted across the state on August 3, 2026, are seeking to stop the party from conducting another primary for the same positions.

According to the court documents, the August 3 primaries were monitored by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), with the results of the exercise subsequently submitted to the commission.

The candidates said the suit became necessary following reports that the APM National Chairman was seeking to have the earlier primaries nullified and another set of primaries conducted.

The development came after factional candidates emerged in the party, with candidates backed by one of the party chieftains in Oyo State, Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, reportedly emerging in competition with candidates backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether OYSIEC can accept or recognise more than one candidate nominated by the APM for the same local government or ward, particularly after it had monitored the August 3 primaries.

They are also challenging the possibility of OYSIEC monitoring another APM primary for the same positions, arguing that the electoral body had already monitored the August 3 exercise.

The candidates want the court to determine whether persons whose names were not contained in the party’s membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the period prescribed by law can participate in the party’s primaries.

The suit has the Allied Peoples Movement, its National Chairman, OYSIEC and INEC as defendants.

The plaintiffs are consequently asking the Federal High Court to grant the declarations and orders sought in their Originating Summons, as the dispute over the party’s candidates for the forthcoming local government elections continues.