Chaos erupted at the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary for Ward 10, Fajuyi Pavilion, Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Saturday.

Electoral officials halted the process and declared it inconclusive after violence broke out among party supporters.

The primary pitted Olushola Fatoba against Tope Ogunleye, widely known as RST. Loyalists and agents of both aspirants had converged on Fajuyi Pavilion before voting was scheduled to begin.

According to eyewitnesses, tensions rose when suspected thugs allegedly backing Fatoba stormed the venue wielding canes and firearms. Their arrival appeared aimed at intimidating Ogunleye’s supporters and suppressing turnout.

Despite the hostile atmosphere, Ogunleye’s backers held their ground, chanting solidarity songs in support of their candidate. Voting eventually started under heavy tension.

Observers at the scene said Ogunleye seemed to have the larger share of support among members present, with his base visibly outnumbering the opposition.

Violence broke out after Fatoba’s camp allegedly sensed an imminent loss. Clashes between both groups forced an abrupt end to voting.

During the unrest, Ogunleye’s agent, Mr. Sunday, was assaulted. Another member, Mr. Femi Ogunleye, was reportedly beaten and his Tecno Spark 9 phone seized. A female supporter, Mrs. Oluwaseun Osamuwa, was also attacked and her Apple Smart Wrist Watch stolen. Both Mr. Femi Ogunleye and Mrs. Osamuwa sustained injuries and were rushed to hospital.

As of press time, no winner had emerged and the Ward 10 primary remained inconclusive.

The violence has renewed concerns over thuggery and intimidation in internal party elections. Party members and political observers say the incident raises serious questions about voters’ ability to freely choose candidates without fear.

Stakeholders are calling on security agencies and electoral authorities to probe the disruption, ensure justice for those attacked, and safeguard the credibility of future primaries.

Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has withdrawn from the 2027 Sokoto South Senatorial race and handed the ticket of the African Democratic Congress to former Commissioner for Finance, Faruk Malami-Yabo.

Tambuwal, regarded as the leader of the ADC in Sokoto State, was said to have stepped down to preserve unity within the party following consultations and disagreements over candidate selection ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Confirming the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, the Sokoto State Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Lamir Aminu, said Tambuwal sacrificed his ambition in the interest of peace and stability within the party.

He said, “Senator Tambuwal decided to relinquish the ticket to promote harmony and strengthen internal democracy in the party.

“The ADC leadership in Sokoto is committed to giving younger politicians the opportunity to contest positions.

“The move by our leader is a reflection of our party’s ideology of grooming young and vibrant leaders.”

He added that most of the party’s House of Representatives tickets in the state had also been given to younger candidates.

The development comes amid ongoing political realignments within the ADC in Sokoto State ahead of the 2027 elections scheduled for February 20, 2027.

Meanwhile, ADC chieftain, Faruku Umar Fada, has emerged as the party’s candidate for the Sokoto North/Sokoto South Federal Constituency.

His emergence was announced on Friday morning amid growing political activities ahead of the polls.

Party supporters described him as a grassroots politician with strong support across the constituency.

Speaking after securing the ticket, Fada thanked party leaders and supporters for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to run an inclusive campaign focused on youth empowerment, education and effective representation.

He said, “My focus would be on effective representation, youth empowerment, education, and addressing challenges affecting constituents in Sokoto North and Sokoto South.

“I am sure with the total support of every stakeholder in this party, we will get there.”

A total of thirty governors from the All Progressives Congress (APC), including notable figures such as Imo State’s Governor Hope Uzodimma, Rivers State’s Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and former Oyo State Secretary to the Government Sarafadeen Alli, have reportedly been cleared to participate in the party’s primaries in preparation for the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Sources within the party have confirmed this development to Vanguard, although the official release of the screening report has been delayed due to numerous petitions received.

Initially, the APC had planned to announce the names of the cleared aspirants on May 13, aligning with the timetable established by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In this screening process, the party received applications from approximately 2,980 aspirants aiming for various elective positions, which include a presidential slot, 28 governorship roles, 109 Senate seats, 360 House of Representatives positions, and 991 state assembly roles.

However, as of late Wednesday, the screening report had yet to be released.

A senior APC official told Vanguard that the party was still reviewing the report to ensure all complaints and petitions were properly addressed.

“We are still working on the screening report to make sure everything goes well,” the source said.

When reminded that May 13 was almost over, the source responded, “The day is not over.”

The official further disclosed that several petitions were submitted against aspirants by different screening panels.

“For instance, one of the panels received 10 petitions and the petitions have to be treated on their merit,” the source added.

The party source dismissed reports that Governor Fubara had been disqualified from the exercise.

“Nooo! No governor has been booted out. The party has always supported its governors. Some of them like Uzodimma got automatic clearance,” the source stated.

According to party insiders, the APC leadership is working towards achieving consensus arrangements in several states to avoid post-primary litigation and internal divisions.

However, where consensus fails, the party plans to conduct direct primaries in line with the Electoral Act.

“We know some of the high-profile aspirants don’t want to consent and are ready to go to court. We don’t want that,” another source said.

Another party source disclosed that former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who is seeking the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State, may face challenges during the clearance process.

According to the source, the former Minister has issues and may not be cleared.

The source, however, confirmed that Sarafadeen Alli had already secured the backing of the party leadership.

Meanwhile, the battle for the Ogun East senatorial ticket between Governor Dapo Abiodun and Senator Gbenga Daniel remains unresolved.

According to party sources, efforts to secure a consensus arrangement between both camps have yet to yield results.

“The matter has not been settled. Daniel is not ready to consent to consensus,” the source said.