On Saturday, several disgruntled All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Kwara State protested against Sunday Fagbemi, the party’s state chairman, at his private home over purported attempts to change the list of party executives confirmed at the most recent congress.
The protesters, whose demonstration was documented on social media, claimed that the party leadership intended to substitute preferred candidates for executives whose names were returned without opposition during the congress.
The demonstrators claimed that the congress was held in accordance with the national leadership of the party’s instruction, which required executives to emerge through affirmation.
One of the demonstrators claimed that the procedure was transparent and that there was no resistance to the restoration of the current executives.
We complied with the national leadership’s request that the congress be conducted by affirmation. The demonstrator claimed that everything was done in an open manner and that the current executives were reelected without opposition.
However, we are already witnessing an attempt to tamper with the list by changing the identities of people that were confirmed. We have come to register our objection because of this.
The irate members demanded that the APC’s national leadership step in immediately to guarantee that the legitimate list of executives confirmed during the congress is upheld.
Any attempt to tamper with the congress’s results, the protesters said, may widen rifts inside the state’s party.
Ahead of the general elections in 2027, they also voiced concerns that such moves would cause the party’s structure to become unstable.
The protest comes after earlier claims that party executives were affirmed in Ilorin, the state capital, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other notable party members present.
Protesters Are Ignored by the APC Chairman
In a phone interview with reporters on Sunday, Fagbemi, the state’s APC chairman, responded to the protest by calling the irate members “ignorant” and characterizing their assertions as conjectural.
“Everything they are doing is speculative, and some unprotected individuals are inciting them, which is nothing to worry about. He told Daily Trust, “They just came to trespass on my property.”
Additionally, Fagbemi pointed out that no formal statement had been made about any modifications to the executive list.
The party chairman further suggested that instead of holding protests at his home, anyone with objections should direct their grievances through the proper party procedures.
He advised party members to uphold the law and resist being swayed by rumors.
All I want is for everyone to follow the law. It is clear that this could be a case of the Voice of Jacob and the Hands of Esau. He stated, “Some people are attempting to infiltrate us, and they shouldn’t be permitted to abuse them.”
