Thirty-three chairmanship and 351 councillorship candidates of Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State have taken the party to the Federal High Court in Ibadan over reports of ‘planned primaries’ for the coming local government elections.
The suit has APM, its National Chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first, second, third and fourth defendants.
The plaintiffs, who emerged as candidates from the APM local government and councillorship primaries conducted across the state on August 3, 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 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 supported by 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 further wanted the court to determine whether persons whose names were not contained in the party’s membership register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law could participate in the party’s primaries.
The plaintiffs are 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.
The reliefs sought in the court papers as sighted by The Nation reads: ‘A declaration that, in view of the provisions of Section 197(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Paragraphs 1(A), 4(A), 5 and 6(D) of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission Regulation and Guidelines for the 2026 Local Government Election in Oyo State, the 3rd Defendant is not permitted to accept, recognie, or publish more than one nomination in respect of the same Local Government and ward for the same election.
‘A declaration that, having regard to the provisions of Paragraph 1(A) of the 2024 Guidelines to the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission Regulation and Guidelines for the 2026 Local Government Election in Oyo State, the 3rd Defendant, having attended and monitored the primaries election conducted by the 1st Defendant in respect of the same Local Governments and wards on the 3rd day of August 2026, cannot lawfully attend, supervise or monitor any other primary election subsequently conducted by the 1st Defendant to nomination another candidate in respect of the same ward or constituency for the same Local Government election.
‘A declaration that, having regard to the provisions of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026, a person or persons whose name(s) are not contained in the membership register submitted to the 4th Defendant in accordance with the said Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026, cannot lawfully participate in the primary election of the 1st Defendant.
‘An order mandating and/or directing the 3rd Defendant not to attend, supervise or monitor any other primary election conducted to by the 1st Defendant for the purpose of nominating another candidate or candidates in respect of the same Local Governments and wards for the forthcoming Oyo State Local Government Election, having already attended and monitored the primary election conducted by the 1st Defendant on the 3rd day of August 2026.
‘An order excluding and/or disqualifying from recognition any person or persons whose name was never contained in membership register submitted 21 days to the primaries of the 1st Defendant held 3rd day of August 2026 in accordance with Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2026.