he Allied People’s Movement (APM), Oriire LG chapter in Oyo State, has insisted that Hon. Ojetunde Oluwole Sunday, JP, won the party’s valid chairmanship primary ahead of the forthcoming LG elections against the earlier report that, Opeyemi Omoleader is the candidate.
The party said the primary, conducted on August 3, 2026, was peaceful, transparent and duly monitored by relevant electoral and security authorities.
In a statement signed by the Primary Election Returning Official, Areo Babatunde, the APM said registered members who participated in the party congress took part in the exercise, with their names subsequently submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the party, officials of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) monitored the primary and signed the relevant documents in accordance with the provisions of the OYSIEC law.
It added that representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) also witnessed the exercise.
The party identified the officials as the DSS representative, A.W. Omigbire; OYSIEC official, A.J. Oke; and NSCDC official, DSC Dorcas Ogundipe.
The APM said security personnel were deployed throughout the exercise, adding that Ojetunde was declared winner at the end of the primary and consequently emerged as the party’s chairmanship candidate for Oriire Local Government.
It further disclosed that 10 councillorship candidates, representing Wards 1 to 10, also emerged from the exercise.
The party’s position comes amid reports of an alleged parallel claim to the APM chairmanship ticket in Oriire Local Government.
Reports circulating on social media have alleged that the ticket was ceded to Adigun Omoleader Afeez Tijani, a former member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who reportedly defected to the APM but did not participate in the August 3 primary.
The reports also alleged that Tijani’s emergence was facilitated by Otunba Seye Famojuro and endorsed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Tijani was reportedly described as one of the grassroots politicians who supported Makinde’s 2019 campaign, alongside Alhaja Mulikat Adeola.
However, the claims could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the alleged substitution of his candidacy, Ojetunde described the development as a “travesty of justice”, insisting that he remains the legitimate candidate produced by the recognised primary.
Ojetunde alleged that two factions were involved in the dispute, identifying one with Alhaji Adebisi Aremu Olopoeyan and the other with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Makinde.
He said he belonged to the Olopoeyan camp and alleged that members of the group were being denied political positions.
Ojetunde appealed to the relevant electoral authorities and members of the public to recognise him as the authentic APM candidate, maintaining that his emergence followed the party primary of August 3.
The APM Oriire chapter also urged OYSIEC, the party’s state leadership and the public to recognise the outcome of the August 3 exercise as the only valid primary conducted by the chapter.
The dispute comes as political parties in Oyo State intensify preparations for the forthcoming LG elections and conclude their candidate nomination processes.