In a twist of events, former third-term lawmaker, Hon. Ajibola Muraina Saubana has reportedly been documented as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development has sparked tension within the party, as many stakeholders insist that due process was not followed.
A reliable source, who is also a stakeholder within the party, told Peoples Conscience on Friday that Muraina’s name was picked around midnight, allegedly against the preference of a large section of the party leadership in the constituency. The source claimed the same thing happened in other constituencies of the state, which has thrown the party into complete disarray.
The source disclosed that a list containing the names of the alleged consensus candidates of the APC was sent to all party chairmen across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State from Abuja early hours of yesterday. According to the source, Hon. Ajibola Muraina’s name was included on the list as the consensus candidate for Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency.
The situation resulted in unrest at the APC secretariat in Ibadan on Thursday, where aggrieved members of the party stormed the premises and destroyed election materials meant for the primaries scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2026. The disruption led to the postponement of the exercise to Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Peoples Conscience gathered that while a significant number of party faithful are demanding that primaries be conducted, another bloc within the party insists on maintaining a consensus arrangement instead of a contested process.
Meanwhile, the amended 2026 electoral law provides that where consensus cannot be fully achieved, political parties must conduct primaries and where consensus is reached, all aspirants are required to sign an indemnity form confirming unanimous agreement.
However, If reports that Hon. Muraina has clinched the ticket are confirmed, it would mean he has consistently been on the ballot for the same seat since 2007, spanning 20 years of holding tickets of the two major political parties in the constituency.
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