A strongly worded open letter has intensified the crisis within the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a party member, Ishola Kilomodemo, rejected the leadership’s recent appeal for calm following the controversial primary elections.
In the response, Kilomodemo accused the party hierarchy of abandoning internal democracy, tolerating alleged imposition of candidates, and failing to address the grievances of aggrieved members, warning that unresolved divisions could jeopardize the APC’s chances in the 2027 general elections.
**A Response to the Oyo APC Appeal for Calm**
Dear Olawale Sadare and the Oyo APC State Executive,
We have read your “Appeal for Calm” with keen interest. While we appreciate the diplomatic language and the call for unity, this statement represents exactly why many genuine APC members in Oyo State are angry, disillusioned, and increasingly unwilling to “soldier on” under the current arrangement.
# Lack of Internal Democracy
You claim the Chief Moses Adeyemo-led State Exco “didn’t have anointed candidates” and that this was reflected in how things were handled. This is a blatant misrepresentation. What we witnessed was not a democratic process but a carefully orchestrated imposition that sidelined popular will, disregarded consensus-building, and violated the spirit (if not the letter) of the party’s guidelines. Delegates were allegedly harassed, induced, or outright bypassed in several constituencies. Aspirants with genuine grassroots support were systematically undermined while preferred individuals were handed tickets on a platter.
Calling this “politics as usual” or comparing it to a swinging pendulum does not make it acceptable. Internal democracy is not optional window-dressing; it is the foundation of any credible political party. When it is absent, the party produces weak candidates and alienates its core base.
# Winners Mocking the Cheated
Even more painful is the attitude of some of the so-called “winners.” Instead of extending olive branches, many have taken to social media and public spaces to mock, taunt, and humiliate those who were clearly short-changed. This is not the behaviour of democrats; it is the arrogance of victors who know the process was rigged in their favour. Your appeal asks the cheated to “forgive and move ahead,” yet you say nothing about the need for the beneficiaries to show humility, restraint, or genuine reconciliation. This one-sided sermon will not heal wounds — it deepens them.
# Nothing Given to the Previously Maligned Group
You speak of compensation “if the Party wins big.” This is cold comfort. Many individuals and groups who suffered previous marginalisation, injustice, or outright persecution within the party were once again overlooked or sacrificed on the altar of expediency. No deliberate effort was made to address historical imbalances or carry along those who have remained loyal despite past betrayals. Empty promises of future rewards after “victory” have been used too often in Nigerian politics — they rarely materialise. Loyalty is being demanded without reciprocity.
## Other Critical Issues
– *Selective Forgiveness*: You ask everyone to “forgive ourselves” while accepting responsibility in vague terms. Genuine leadership would go beyond this and address specific grievances, apologise to specific victims, and take corrective steps.
-Threats Disguised as Advice:-Warning members not to abandon APC or “sabotage its success” while offering no tangible justice sounds like intimidation rather than persuasion. True loyalty cannot be coerced; it must be earned.
-Denial of Reality:-Pretending that this was a flawless, open process insults the intelligence of party faithful who witnessed the manipulations. “It is what it is” is not leadership — it is surrender to impunity.
-Religious Cloaking:-Ending with “Oju ko ni ti eni kookan wa o. Amin” does not spiritualise injustice. God is not a rubber stamp for undemocratic practices.
We remain committed to the progressive ideals that APC claims to represent, but we will not mortgage our conscience or pretend that all is well. A party that cannot conduct credible internal elections cannot be trusted with the mandate of the people in 2027.
We therefore demand:
1. A transparent post-primary review that genuinely addresses complaints.
2. Concrete steps to reconcile and compensate capable aspirants who were wronged.
3. An immediate end to the mocking and triumphalism by beneficiaries.
4. Real mechanisms to strengthen internal democracy ahead of future contests.
Until these issues are addressed with sincerity, appeals for calm will continue to fall on deaf ears. You cannot harvest loyalty from a field you have scorched.
We choose to stay and fight for a better APC, but we will not be silenced or gaslighted into accepting fraud as “politics.”
Ishola Kilomodemo.
