"Chicken Come Home to Roost": Dr. Ayodeji Ologun Exposes "State-Sponsored" Protest Targeting Ondo APC Candidates List
The ongoing friction within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State took an intense turn following open accusations that internal dissent against the party's official National Assembly (NASS) candidates list is being syntheticly manufactured. Speaking on Arise TV, Dr. Ayodeji Ologun, Chairman of the civil society group Ondo Redemption Front, strongly dismissed the recent street protests, explicitly labeling them as "staged" and "state-sponsored" mechanisms designed to strong-arm the party's central leadership.
According to Dr. Ologun, the genuine pulse of the state was revealed when all nine House of Representatives candidates and three Senatorial flagbearers—whose names have been officially uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal—arrived together via a chartered flight at Akure Airport.
Ologun highlighted the massive, organic crowds that voluntarily trooped out across constituencies to receive them as proof of their democratic legitimacy. He contrasted this with the anti-list demonstrations, pointing out that they were paradoxically led by the state's sitting Commissioner for Women Affairs. Ologun argued that having an active cabinet member orchestrate an anti-party demonstration underscores executive frustration rather than authentic grassroots grievance.
Tracing the root of the friction, Dr. Ologun explained that the current political storm is the direct outcome of the state governor's unchecked ambition to completely replace the status quo by dropping nearly the entire incumbent legislative lineup.
This heavy-handed executive push fractured consensus efforts, leading to highly disorganized, parallel primary processes where multiple lists were brandished. Ologun noted that the National Working Committee (NWC) had explicitly warned that local actors lacked the authority to declare candidates.
By asserting its constitutional selection powers, the NWC corrected what he described as a unauthorized power grab. Ologun urged all aggrieved parties to abandon litigation and suppress dissenting voices before the upcoming campaign season kicks off, especially given that the local opposition—including the People's Democratic Party (PDP)—currently lacks any viable competitive structure in the state.
The Ondo Primary Stalemate: Organic Mobilization vs. Cabinet Protest
The conflict illustrates a stark division between executive preferences and the final candidate listing authorized by the party's national headquarters.
3. Tactical Perspective: Staged Protest vs. Executive Pushback
| Tactical Perspective | The Staged Protest Position (Ondo Redemption Front / NWC List) | The Executive Pushback Faction (Aggrieved Protesters) |
|---|---|---|
| List Legitimacy | The NWC is the authorized to upload names; the current list corrects an executive overreach. | Claims the final list completely overrides the actual direct primary outcomes counted across local wards. |
| Protest Authenticity | Dismissed as an directly managed by a sitting cabinet member. | Characterized as an authentic grassroots rejection of candidate imposition and "Abuja results". |
| Structural Reform | Demands long-term transition to digital party registries and verified biometric member IDs to secure primary integrity. | Focuses on immediate judicial or administrative reversals of the submitted congressional candidate list. |
"The protest was obviously staged... led by the incumbent Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, and you can by that infer that it was state-sponsored. What is right to do now is that all ranks should be closed... ensure these candidates win, and translate this into ultimate victory." — Dr. Ayodeji Ologun
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