The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries were engulfed by violence in Ondo State on Monday as armed thugs stormed the venue of the Ondo Central Senatorial District primary in Akure and fired sporadic gunshots into the air, hitting the vehicle of incumbent Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire and forcing delegates, journalists, and residents to flee for safety.
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The violence in Ondo came as fresh confusion emerged in Kogi State after a screening document surfaced showing former Governor Yahaya Bello as “not cleared” to contest the Kogi Central senatorial primary despite earlier reports that he had been screened and cleared. Separately, the APC national secretariat made an unexplained U-turn on its list of uncleared senatorial aspirants, removing five names including that of former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce while adding two new names, reducing the total from 47 to 44.
Gunshots at Ondo Central Senate Primary
The most alarming incident occurred at Ward 5, Ebenezer African Church Primary School, Amudipe Street, in Akure South Local Government Area the polling unit of Senator Adegbonmire, the incumbent senator representing Ondo Central and an aspirant in the primary.
According to witnesses, delegates had lined up to vote and counting had commenced when armed thugs invaded the venue and started shooting sporadically. Party members who were in the queue ran for safety, with many sustaining injuries from the stampede.
During the melee, Senator Adegbonmire was bundled into his vehicle by his supporters and whisked away, but bullets struck his Toyota jeep, leaving visible marks.
The gunfire also triggered panic in nearby schools, with parents and guardians rushing to Ebenezer Primary School and St Peter A/C Primary School to withdraw their children.
Speaking after the incident, Senator Adegbonmire described the process as “a complete charade” and gave a detailed account of what transpired.
“I went to my ward today, which is the APC senate primary. I was there, and while we were there, they told everybody to line up, and they started counting. They counted my supporters who were voting for me. It was about 360 something,” the senator recounted.
He said three aspirants were in the race — himself, Taiwo Fasoranti (described as an ally of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa), and Olumuyiwa Adu, a legal practitioner. When it became apparent that Adegbonmire’s line was the longest and his count was leading, he alleged, thugs invaded the venue.
“When it was glaring to them — I think it got about a hundred and something — thugs came and invaded the place. Shot in the air, shot at my car. I can show you the bullet mark. They started trying to attack people. Beating people up. They disrupted the entire process,” Adegbonmire alleged.
He added that he was receiving reports from across the senatorial district that similar disruptions were occurring, with his supporters being prevented from accessing voting venues.
Adu: “No Political Ambition Is Worth Bloodshed”
The third aspirant, Olumuyiwa Adu, also rejected the exercise, alleging that armed youths openly threatened delegates and declared that only the governor’s preferred candidate should be voted for.
“There was no primary election in the real sense of it. What happened was a coordinated effort to deny genuine party members their right to vote,” Adu said.
Despite his military background, Adu said he deliberately restrained his supporters to prevent bloodshed. “I have been in the military. We know the boys, we have the resources to bring them out. But what will it profit me if at the end of the day, life is lost?” he stated.
He warned that candidates allegedly imposed on the party would struggle to win elections in Ondo, citing growing public anger. “For those he elected by force, they can’t win an election in Ondo State for APC. We are saying it. They cannot. It’s not possible,” Adu declared.
Fasoranti, however, dismissed the allegations, describing the primary as “free, fair, and transparent.”
House of Reps Results: Five Incumbents Fall, Thugs Also Disrupted Announcement
The Ondo Senate primary violence followed disruptions to the APC House of Representatives primaries conducted over the weekend. The primaries were held on Saturday across the 203 wards in the state’s nine federal constituencies. However, the announcement of results at the party secretariat in Akure was disrupted on Sunday when suspected thugs stormed the venue while the electoral committee led by Mr Iboroma Harry Dabibi was reading the results.
After calm was restored, the committee completed the announcement. The full results for the nine Ondo federal constituencies are as follows:
Ifeoluwa Ehindero won Akoko North-East/North-West with 22,304 votes, defeating Ibrahim Moruf Tosin (330 votes) and Oseni Oyeniyi (118 votes). Hon. Omowunmi Olatunji won Akure South/Akure North with 9,237 votes. Dr Abiola Peter Makinde secured Ondo East/Ondo West with 10,847 votes. Dr Olumuyiwa Daramola won Okitipupa/Irele with 6,547 votes, defeating incumbent Jimi Odimayo (827 votes). Matthew Oyerimade won Odigbo/Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo with 12,744 votes. Akingboye Akinleke David won Ilaje/Ese-Odo with 9,284 votes, defeating incumbent Donald Ojogo.
In three constituencies, votes recorded by aspirants who were not cleared by the screening committee were invalidated, altering the outcomes. In Akoko South-East/South-West, Olusegun Victor Ategbole polled 12,011 votes but they were voided, making Adefarati Gboyega the winner with 1,865 valid votes. In Owo/Ose, Ayodeji Arowele Samuel’s 9,690 votes were invalidated, and Kayode Ijalana emerged winner with 7,098 valid votes. In Idanre/Ifedore, Adefisoye Tajudeen Adeyemi’s 5,463 votes were declared invalid, and Rasaq Obe won with 4,988 valid votes.
The disqualified aspirants included Tajudeen Adefisoye (popularly known as Small Alhaji), Olusegun Ategbole, Seun Ajongbolo, Arowole Ayodeji, Murufu Tosin Ibrahim, Oseni Oyeniyi, and Olaleye Adedipe.
Five incumbent lawmakers lost their return bids, while the APC constituted a Primary Appeal Committee at the state secretariat to entertain complaints from aggrieved aspirants.
Kogi: Yahaya Bello “Not Cleared”
In Kogi State, fresh confusion emerged after a screening document surfaced showing former Governor Yahaya Bello as “not cleared” to contest the APC senatorial primary for Kogi Central, contradicting earlier reports that he had been screened and cleared alongside 17 other aspirants.
Party sources told SaharaReporters that Bello was eventually disqualified after allegedly failing to appear before the screening panel. One source claimed the former governor avoided the screening due to questions about ongoing criminal investigations and court cases — specifically, a question on the APC screening form requiring aspirants to disclose any pending criminal investigations or prosecutions.
Bello is being prosecuted by the EFCC in two separate cases involving allegations of laundering approximately N80.2 billion allegedly diverted from the Kogi State treasury during his tenure, and a separate N110.4 billion fraud charge. He has consistently denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Sources also alleged that EFCC operatives were monitoring activities around the screening venue, and that Governor Ahmed Ododo may have received signals from the Presidency to distance himself from Bello’s senatorial bid. As of the time of filing, the APC had not issued an official clarification on the conflicting reports surrounding Bello’s screening status.
APC Drops Ben Murray-Bruce from Uncleared List
In a separate development, the APC made an unexplained U-turn on its list of senatorial aspirants barred from participating in the Senate primaries. An updated list signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, reduced the number of affected aspirants from 47 to 44, removing five names — including former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East) — while adding two new names.
Morka offered no explanation for the deletions, stating only: “The APC urges all stakeholders to uphold transparency, orderliness, and the integrity of the ongoing Primary Election process.”
Those removed from the list alongside Murray-Bruce were Chimzobam Kingsley Nnalue (Anambra North), Gyang Yaya Zi San (Plateau North), Napoleon Binkap Bah (Plateau South), and Usman Ephraim Gar (Plateau Central).
Two names were added: Ibrahim Bala (Nasarawa West), listed as not cleared, and Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana (Nasarawa West), recorded as having voluntarily withdrawn.
The updated list also revised the status of some aspirants: Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East) and Donald Daunemigita (Bayelsa West) were reclassified from “not cleared” to voluntary withdrawals; Garba Musa Mai Doki (Kebbi South) was listed as having defected; and Adam Mouktar Mohammed (Jigawa South-West) was recorded as having failed to appear for screening.
Updated List of Uncleared, Withdrawn and Disqualified Senatorial Aspirants
| S/N | Name | Senatorial District | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benson S. Agadaga | Bayelsa East | Voluntary Withdrawal |
| 2 | Donald Daunemigita | Bayelsa West | Voluntary Withdrawal |
| 3 | Daniel Effiong Asuquo | Cross River South | Not Cleared |
| 4 | Oden Ibiang O. Ewa | Cross River Central | Not Cleared |
| 5 | Marian Nnamaka Ogoh-Ali | Delta North | Not Cleared |
| 6 | Usman J. Wowo | FCT | Not Cleared |
| 7 | Abubakar Umar Abdullahi | FCT | Not Cleared |
| 8 | Adam Mouktar Mohammed | Jigawa South-West | Did Not Appear for Screening |
| 9 | Garba Musa Mai Doki | Kebbi South | Defected |
| 10 | Kollo B. Jiya | Kwara North | Not Cleared |
| 11 | Olutola John Onijala | Kwara South | Not Cleared |
| 12 | Awolola Muritala | Kwara South | Not Cleared |
| 13 | Adeleke Emmanuel Gbenga | Kwara South | Not Cleared |
| 14 | Abdullahi Tanko Zubairu | Nasarawa South | Not Cleared |
| 15 | Usman Muhammed Elegu | Nasarawa South | Not Cleared |
| 16 | Yusuf Moh’d Agabi | Nasarawa South | Not Cleared |
| 17 | Ari Ali Muhammed | Nasarawa South | Not Cleared |
| 18 | Ibrahim Bala | Nasarawa West | Not Cleared |
| 19 | Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana | Nasarawa West | Voluntary Withdrawal |
| 20 | Muhammed Rabiu Sadiq | Niger South | Not Cleared |
| 21 | Muhammed Bello A. | Niger South | Not Cleared |
| 22 | Bello Bawa Bwari | Niger East | Not Cleared |
| 23 | Ademola Wasiu Alli | Oyo Central | Not Cleared |
| 24 | Ajimobi Wasiu Adegboyega | Oyo North | Not Cleared |
| 25 | Kolapoboye Kola Daisi | Oyo South | Not Cleared |
| 26 | Faozey Oladotun Nurudeen | Oyo Central | Not Cleared |
| 27 | Hameed Afeez Repete | Oyo Central | Not Cleared |
| 28 | Akinremi Alade Bolaji | Oyo South | Not Cleared |
| 29 | Bello Abudullahi Bodejo | Taraba Central | Not Cleared |
| 30 | Oyukaye Flag Amachree | Rivers West | Not Cleared |
| 31 | Tamunobaabo Wemike Danagogo | Rivers West | Not Cleared |
| 32 | Jack-Rich Tein T.S | Rivers West | Not Cleared |
| 33 | Banigo Ipalibo | Rivers West | Not Cleared |
| 34 | Barry Balera Mwara | Rivers South-East | Not Cleared |
| 35 | Hassan H. Kafayos | Yobe North | Not Cleared |
| 36 | Sanusi Ibrahim Garachi | Zamfara Central | Not Cleared |
| 37 | Aliyu Abubakar | Zamfara Central | Not Cleared |
| 38 | Muhammad Bashir Maru | Zamfara Central | Not Cleared |
Names Removed from Initial List (Now Presumably Cleared)
| S/N | Name | Senatorial District | Previous Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Murray-Bruce | Bayelsa East | Was listed as Not Cleared |
| 2 | Chimzobam Kingsley Nnalue | Anambra North | Was listed as Not Cleared |
| 3 | Gyang Yaya Zi San | Plateau North | Was listed as Not Cleared |
| 4 | Napoleon Binkap Bah | Plateau South | Was listed as Not Cleared |
| 5 | Usman Ephraim Gar | Plateau Central | Was listed as Not Cleared |
The Bigger Picture
The violence in Ondo, the screening confusion in Kogi, and the unexplained changes to the national screening list paint a picture of an APC Senate primary process beset by irregularities, intimidation, and opacity. The gunshots at the Ondo Central primary venue represent a particularly dangerous escalation, moving beyond the verbal threats and thuggery that characterised the House of Representatives primaries to actual weapons discharge at a voting location.
As of the time of this report, there were no confirmed reports of fatalities from the Ondo violence, though multiple injuries from the stampede were reported. Party officials in Ondo had yet to issue a formal statement on the Senate primary disruption, while the APC nationally has not explained the changes to the senatorial screening list.
The primary season continues to expose deep fractures within the ruling party as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
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