By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi 

Chairmen of the 18 Local Government Councils in Ondo State, under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the controversy surrounding the candidates’ list released by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general elections.

The council chairmen said the list released by the party’s national leadership did not, in some cases, reflect the outcome of the primary elections conducted across the state between May 16 and 23, 2026.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Akure, the Chairman of ALGON in Ondo State, Mr. Gbenga Fasua, said the appeal represented the collective position of all the 18 local government chairmen in the state.

Fasua, who is the chairman of Akure South Local Government, stressed that the council chairmen were not protesting against the party but were seeking justice and respect for the democratic choices made by APC members during the primary elections.

“This is an appeal that the right thing be done and not a protest against our great party. Our position is simply to demand that the decision of the people to choose their preferred representatives be respected and allowed to stand,” he said.

According to him, the local government chairmen actively participated in ensuring peaceful, free, fair and credible primary elections in their respective councils.

“As Chief Security Officers of our various local governments, we played our roles and ensured that the primaries were conducted peacefully, transparently and credibly across Ondo State,” he added.

In a letter jointly addressed to President Tinubu and made available to journalists, the chairmen expressed appreciation to the President for his leadership and commitment to democratic values, while also commending Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for promoting peace, unity and progress within the state and the APC.

The council chairmen recalled that the APC primary elections for the offices of President, Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly were conducted under the supervision of duly constituted electoral committees in accordance with the party’s constitution and guidelines.

They stated that the exercises were peaceful, transparent and credible, with candidates emerging based on votes cast by duly accredited party members.

“We respectfully appeal for your fatherly intervention in this matter to ensure fairness, justice and adherence to the true outcomes of the duly conducted primary elections in Ondo State,” they said.

The chairmen maintained that the APC in Ondo State remains united and expressed confidence that the President’s intervention would strengthen internal democracy, preserve confidence in the party’s institutions and promote reconciliation among aggrieved stakeholders.

They added that timely intervention would further safeguard the integrity, credibility and unity of the APC, not only in Ondo State but across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.