A group within the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has petitioned the party’s national leadership over the violent disruption of its National Assembly primaries in the state, calling for the exercise to be declared invalid.

The group, operating under the name Ondo State APC Concern, described the primaries as a flawed process that breached the party’s electoral procedures and internal democratic principles.

In a petition addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, the group’s leader, Kola Adesina, alleged that the exercise was compromised by political interference and violence.

According to the petition, tension escalated on Sunday evening at the Ondo State APC Secretariat in Akure when members of the National Assembly Election Committee resumed the announcement of results.

The group alleged that a disqualified aspirant from the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency stormed the venue with suspected political thugs, forcing committee members, journalists, and party officials to flee despite the presence of security personnel.

The petition stated that although primaries were conducted in nine federal constituencies on Saturday, results were announced for only three constituencies — Akure South/Akure North, Okitipupa/Irele, and Ondo East/Ondo West.

The group further alleged that the declared results did not reflect the actual outcome of the exercise and claimed there were unresolved discrepancies in results from the remaining constituencies.

It also condemned reported violence and sporadic gunfire that disrupted the party’s senate primaries, particularly in Ondo Central Senatorial District.

According to the group, the disruption undermined the credibility of the process and disregarded the wishes of party members who participated in the primaries.

The petition further alleged that the suspension of the collation process followed a phone call purportedly made by an individual identified as a serving commissioner, who allegedly instructed party officials to halt the announcement pending the resolution of disputes in Owo/Ose and Idanre/Ifedore constituencies.

The group claimed members of the election committee later abandoned the venue after citing threats to their safety.

It maintained that the process failed to comply with the APC’s established procedures for collating and announcing National Assembly primary results.

The group subsequently called on the party leadership to reject the exercise, direct the election committee to reconvene under improved security, and investigate allegations of political interference and the use of thugs to disrupt the primaries.

It also warned that allowing the current outcome to stand could damage the party’s credibility in Ondo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The petition further urged the party leadership to call Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to account over the incidents recorded during the exercise.