APC House of Representatives aspirant for the Obudu–Bekwara–Obanliku Federal Constituency in Cross River State, Antonia Agbede-Ally, has alleged that no legitimate primary election was conducted in her constituency, insisting that the outcome of the exercise was predetermined in favour of the incumbent lawmaker.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Agbede-Ally said what transpired in the constituency could not be described as a primary election, alleging that party executives and stakeholders were directed to support the sitting representative before voting processes began.
She said, “I don’t think… because you said how do I feel about the primaries, I first of all want to state that there were no primaries conducted in the Obudu–Bekwara–Obanliku constituency area.”
According to her, the process was marred by chaos and alleged directives from party leadership, adding that she was not even initially invited to a key stakeholders’ meeting.
She said, “There was a lot of chaos. We were there, first of all, before the elections happened, there was a meeting where they had gathered all APC members. I was told that I wasn’t invited for that meeting. I had to force myself into the hall.”
Agbede-Ally alleged that at the meeting, party officials instructed members to support the incumbent, Mr. Peter Apanke, regardless of the presence of other aspirants.
She said, “They said that all the executives had directed the people in the hall that they were to follow the governor’s directives and vote for Peter Apanke, regardless of the fact that I was present and there was another lady too who had not stepped down to join the race.”
She further claimed that what was presented as a voting process in her ward was irregular and lacked proper electoral materials.
She said, “They were told that they were given no materials. So they began by recording, apparently they said something about verbal affirmation, which we have done our research, myself and my lawyer, and there’s no such thing that is supported by APC or INEC or the Constitution.”
Agbede-Ally also alleged inconsistencies in the collation process, insisting that the exercise was not credible.
She said, “Even at that, with the so-called verbal affirmation, you can see online that people were counting from 45 to 100 and all sorts of things. So they weren’t even able to take that seriously.”
She maintained that the process lacked legitimacy across the constituency, stating, “I can conclude that there was actually no primary elections done in Obudu, Bekwara or Obanliku area.”
The aspirant also alleged that materials were diverted and that directives had already been issued in favour of the incumbent lawmaker.
She said, “Some of the ward chairmen… said to me that the materials were given directly to the current person who is on seat, Peter Apanke.”
Agbede-Ally further claimed that she had been encouraged by national party leadership and political figures to participate in the race, only to later encounter what she described as a closed process.
She said, “We were encouraged by the presidency and also Senator Remi Tinubu, who is my mentor, that more women and young people should pick the form. So I wasn’t informed that there was no option.”
She added that she had already spent resources to participate in the process, saying, “We are told that we should come and use our finances to pick forms… just for you to then inform us when we get there that the candidate has already been selected.”
When asked about legal options and a recent court ruling limiting judicial interference in party primaries, Agbede-Ally said she had already filed an appeal through her lawyer.
She said, “The lawyer is assisting me in ensuring that my appeal is not denied. If there’s any grievances, you are allowed to appeal.”
She, argued that the matter went beyond internal party affairs.
She said, “In a case where you advertise that there’s a job opening… and money is involved where you tell people to come and pick forms, and then you later say a candidate has already been selected, I don’t even know if he’s saying it’s a party issue. I think things concerning money and false advertisement go beyond that.”
Responding to suggestions that aspirants should accept internal party outcomes and move on, Agbede-Ally said her participation was also a learning experience, but maintained that the process lacked credibility.
She said, “Nobody starts out this race hoping to lose. A credible election would have allowed me to map out my strengths and weaknesses… but there was no election.”
Reacting to concerns raised about governance challenges in the constituency, particularly electricity shortages, Agbede-Ally described herself as a humanitarian rather than a career politician, stressing that her focus is on community development.
She said, “I’m actually not a politician. I’m a humanitarian… and everything you’re saying is true.”
She acknowledged persistent infrastructure challenges in the region, including electricity, roads, agriculture, and tourism assets such as the Obudu Ranch, adding that the area remains underdeveloped despite its potential.
She said, “There hasn’t been electricity for about a couple of months… we also have issues of farmers, roads, network, and underutilized assets such as the Obudu Ranch.”
Agbede-Ally added that her motivation for joining politics was rooted in grassroots development and community impact, not personal ambition.
She said, “It’s a matter of solving the problem and getting involved in directing towards the issues that we’re having… regardless of whether I won or not, I am very grateful for this opportunity.”
She also expressed admiration for Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, describing her as a personal inspiration.
She said, “She’s somebody I have followed since I was a kid… I would say she’s like a mentor to me.”
Boluwatife Enome
