APC aspirant Ajipe seeks senatorial seat
An aspirant in All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ondo North Senatorial District, Alex Ajipe, has said the senatorial seat should be ceded to Owo/Ose axis, citing the need for fairness
An aspirant in All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ondo North Senatorial District, Alex Ajipe, has said the senatorial seat should be ceded to Owo/Ose axis, citing the need for fairness and equity ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ajipe, who is seeking the senatorial ticket of APC, said Owo/Ose area in Ondo North has been marginalised for nearly two decades despite its historical contributions to the district’s political development.
Describing the situation as an imbalance that needed to be corrected, he said rotating the seat among the constituent areas remained the most credible way to sustain unity and inclusiveness in the party.
Addressing stakeholders at the APC secretariat in Akure at the weekend where he formally declared his interest, Ajipe said justice demanded a deliberate effort to correct the “prolonged imbalance” in the representation of Ondo North Senatorial District of the state.
Advertisement
300x250
He stressed that respecting an unwritten zoning understanding among local governments in the district would help reduce internal friction and strengthen APC’s chances at the polls.
“Owo/Ose people are agitating that in the last 20 years, they have not produced a senator. Akoko wanted the Senate slot at a time, and it was given to them.
READ ALSO: FULL LIST: Items banned from importation into Nigeria
“Today, the Senate has remained in Akoko axis for four consecutive terms. It is only fair that it returns to Owo/Ose,” he said.
The APC aspirant said equitable power-sharing had remained a stabilising factor in Nigeria’s political system and should not be ignored, especially in a competitive electoral environment.
Advertisement
300x250
Ajipe, who contested the party’s primary but lost to incumbent Senator Olajide Ipinsagba in 2023 from Ikare-Akoko, insisted that he had “paid his dues” in the APC and deserved to fly the party’s flag for Ondo North Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.
“I have paid my dues in this party since 1998 from AD, to AC, ACN to APC. Many of us have worked tirelessly, believing that one day it will be our turn. When it comes to party empowerment, nobody has empowered the party more than I have,” he said.
The aspirant noted that his ambition is rooted not just in personal interest, but also in the collective demand of his people, explaining that stakeholders in Owo/Ose have consistently agitated for the Senate seat.
While rejecting the idea of “automatic tickets” for serving National Assembly members, Ajipe insisted on the due democratic process, emphasising that loyalty, positive contributions to the party and the state should be considered when giving the party’s ticket.
“We have a President (Bola Tinubu) who came through primaries. If he was not allowed to contest, would he be there today? There is nothing like automatic ticket. Everyone should be given a fair chance,” he said.
Ajipe donated an operational Toyota Sienna vehicle to the party’s chapter and pledged continued support for party’s leadership at all time.
The state APC Chairman, Babatunde Kolawole, said all the aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket ahead of the primary would be giving a level playing field in line with its constitution.
