ADC TICKET CRISIS: ABORISADE DEMANDS ANSWERS, SAYS OYO VOTERS DESERVE THE TRUTH
“A party that cannot protect its own primary cannot promise Oyo people credible leadership”
The deepening crisis over the African Democratic Congress governorship ticket in Oyo State has continued to generate reactions, with the party’s Deputy Governorship Candidate, Barrister Chief Niyi Aborisade, demanding full disclosure of what transpired between the party’s governorship primary and the subsequent appearance of Hon. Taofeek Adegoke’s name on the Independent National Electoral Commission portal.
Aborisade, in his reaction to the latest protest by aggrieved ADC members in Ibadan, said the controversy had moved beyond the personalities involved and had become a test of the party’s commitment to internal democracy.
According to him, the fundamental question that must be answered is simple: Who actually won the ADC governorship primary held on May 22, 2026, and how did another name subsequently emerge as the party’s candidate?
The ADC chieftain said Oyo residents who watched the controversy unfold deserve clear answers, particularly as the state approaches the 2027 governorship election.
Aborisade also referenced a viral video allegedly showing Oloye Taofeek Adegboyega speaking about the process through which his name and those of other candidates were eventually uploaded on the INEC portal.
He said the statement contained in the video has added another layer to the controversy and should prompt relevant authorities and stakeholders to scrutinise the entire process.
For Aborisade, the issue is not merely about who occupies a position on an electoral portal but about whether the votes cast during a party primary can be respected.
He maintained that Dr Gbemileke Alagbe, popularly known as Eleniyan, legitimately won the ADC governorship primary and was issued the relevant nomination documents.
He therefore questioned why, after the primary, the situation allegedly changed.
“If a candidate wins a primary election, receives a certificate of return and does not withdraw from the race, Nigerians have the right to ask how another name suddenly emerges,” Aborisade argued.
He called on the leadership of the party, INEC and other relevant stakeholders to make the records available and allow the facts to speak for themselves.
The ADC deputy governorship candidate further appealed to Oyo citizens not to view the controversy as an ordinary political quarrel.
He said the real issue was whether the will of party members expressed through the ballot would be respected.
Aborisade urged supporters of Alagbe and other concerned citizens to pursue the matter through constitutional and legal means, insisting that peaceful resistance and lawful action remain legitimate tools for protecting democratic mandates.
He said the controversy should also serve as a warning to political parties that internal democracy cannot be preached to the electorate while being compromised within party structures.
“We cannot ask Oyo people to trust us with their votes in 2027 if we cannot demonstrate that we respect the votes of our own members today,” he said.
Meanwhile, the dispute remains before the courts, with the contending parties maintaining different positions over the authentic ADC governorship candidate.
As the legal battle continues, attention is increasingly shifting from the political claims of the two camps to the documentary evidence that will ultimately determine who truly secured the ADC governorship ticket.
For Aborisade, however, one principle remains non-negotiable: the mandate of the people must be respected, and the truth must prevail.