The crisis rocking Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM) in Oyo State on Wednesday took another dimension, as aggrieved members instituted two suits against the party at the Federal High Court, Ibadan.
Recall that Governor Seyi Makinde is the 2027 presidential candidate of APM, while Bimbo Adekanmbi is Makinde’s anointed governorship candidate of the party in Oyo State.
The first suit was instituted by the 33 candidates that emerged from the primaries conducted for the Local Government Election scheduled to take place in Oyo State in December.
In the suit, Bisi Akande and 32 others are seeking a court order to stop Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) from monitoring any other primary by the APM in respect of the local government poll coming up in Oyo State, having been duly elected as the candidates in a primary election conducted by their party.
The second suit instituted by Musibau Olayiwola, an elected zonal vice chairman of the party, is seeking nullification of the National Convention of the APM recently held in Bauchi State and is calling for a fresh convention that will give him the opportunity to participate.
The two suits, which came before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court 1 Ibadan on Wednesday, were adjourned for hearing on September 21.
The Plaintiff, Musibau Olayiwola, in the Originating Summons marked: FHC/IB/CS/101/26, sued Allied People’s Movement (APM); Yusuff Dantalle (National Chairman, APM); Oyadeyi Adebayo (National Secretary, APM); the Chairman, Planning Committee for the National Convention; and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Represented by Monday Mawah and Joseph Simon, he is asking the court to determine whether ‘upon a proper and dispassionate construction of the provision of Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Article 8 and 11 of the Allied Peoples’ Movement constitution, and every other relevant laws, the plaintiff, who was elected as the zonal chairman from the zonal congress held on May 23, 2026, is not entitled to be given nomination forms in order for him to be ratified at the General/National Convention of the party slated for August 12 and 13, 2026 in Bauchi State.
‘Whether the refusal or failure to give the plaintiff nomination forms in order for him to be ratified at the convention does not violate his right to hold office within the party.’
Olayiwola’s grounds of application included the fact that he and other persons ’emerged from the duly conducted zonal congress of the party in accordance with the party’s constitution; that the said congresses were conducted in strict compliance with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, APM constitution and guidelines of the party.
‘That the lists of everyone that emerged from the said congresses, including the name of the plaintiff, were submitted to the national body of the party and INEC as 5th defendant; that everyone that emerged was given nomination forms in order for their position to be ratified at the General/National Convention; and that despite all efforts to obtain his Nomination Form, the party has denied me the right to obtain the form; that without the form, his position as zonal chairman will not be ratified, and it will clearly violate his right under the party and under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian 1999 (As Amended)’.
In the suit by the applicants in respect of the local government election filed and dated August 10, 2026, the 33 applicants informed the court that primary was held on August 3, 2026, where candidates for local government election have emerged.
‘After the first primary of August 3, 2026, in which he emerged, the stakeholders felt uncomfortable and approached the OYSIEC to hold another primary against the party guidelines, which says that two candidates cannot be sponsored for the same position when one has already emerged as the candidate and OYSIEC actually monitored it.
‘Thus, the APM 33 local government candidates are asking the court to stop OYSIEC from monitoring fresh primary, as their names have emerged from the first primary and submitted to the OYSIEC by the appropriate quarter.’