By Isaac Olufemi Ojo
The controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido-Osi Federal Constituency of Ekiti State deepened on Tuesday, as the incumbent lawmaker, Honourable Kolawole Akinlayo, unveiled documentary evidence to challenge the emergence of Kunle Ibrahim as the party’s candidate.
Akinlayo, who represents the constituency in the House of Representatives, alleged that Ibrahim participated in the party’s primary election while still serving as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters.
This latest development escalates the ongoing dispute trailing the APC primary for the constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For some time, Akinlayo has maintained that Ibrahim failed to adhere to the directive of President Bola Tinubu, which mandated that government appointees seeking elective offices must resign their positions prior to participating in party primaries.
To substantiate his claim, the lawmaker presented payslips generated through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). According to the documents, Ibrahim received a gross monthly salary of ₦1.04 million in both April and May 2026. Akinlayo argued that these records confirm Ibrahim remained on the federal payroll during the period leading up to the primary election.
However, the Media Office of Kunle Ibrahim dismissed the allegations in a statement on Tuesday.
The office described Akinlayo’s claims as the bitter reaction of a candidate who lost the primary and is struggling to come to terms with the outcome. The statement further accused the lawmaker of attempting to smear Ibrahim’s reputation because he failed to secure the party’s ticket.
