Dr. Gbemileke Alagbe Eleniyan and Chief Niyi Aborisade of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State have reaffirmed their claims to the party's 2027 governorship ticket. They assert that the May 22, 2026 primary election remains the valid basis of their candidacy. During a live television appearance, the duo stated that the May 22 exercise was conducted under the appropriate party structure, producing Alagbe as the winner.
The controversy over the ticket has sparked reactions, with the matter currently before the courts. The Federal High Court in Ibadan has adjourned further proceedings in the case until September 30, 2026. Aborisade recounted the events surrounding the May 22 primary, stating that he personally congratulated Alagbe after the election, based on the results announced at the end of the exercise.
Aborisade's account is consistent with his earlier public position that Alagbe won the May 22 primary, in which he emerged second. He alleged that Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke subsequently informed him of plans to organise another election the following day, which produced a different result and became the basis of the dispute over the ADC governorship ticket.
Alagbe emphasised that the central issue is the procedure through which the May 22 primary was organised. He maintained that the party's constitutional structure vested responsibility for organising the governorship primary in the national organising organ. The National Organising Secretary discharged this responsibility by sending a representative to supervise the exercise, which was conducted across the state and results collated.
Alagbe had previously stated that the primary was conducted across the state's 351 wards, with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials present, and the final result collated at the University of Ibadan. He obtained a Certified True Copy of the relevant primary election report. Reports published after the May 22 exercise recorded Alagbe as the winner, with 15,107 votes, while Aborisade scored 4,307 votes and Adegoke 987 votes.
Alagbe alleged that the situation changed after the May 22 primary, accusing the ADC National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, of interfering with the process. Aregbesola allegedly backed a different arrangement that resulted in Adegoke's emergence and Alagbe's displacement. Alagbe described this as an attempt to overturn the mandate he received from ADC members during the May 22 primary.
The allegations are part of the wider dispute over the party's governorship ticket and are subject to ongoing judicial proceedings. Alagbe and Aborisade's insistence on the validity of the May 22 primary has added to the controversy, with the courts yet to make a final determination on the matter. The ADC governorship ticket remains a contentious issue in Oyo State.
Key points
- The Oyo ADC primary dispute centres on the validity of the May 22, 2026 election.
- Alagbe and Aborisade insist that the May 22 primary was conducted under the party's constitutional structure.
- The matter is currently before the courts, with a Federal High Court adjournment until September 30, 2026.
