Ondo APC State Congress to proceed despite Federal High Court restraining order as tensions rise following violent ward congress incidents

The All Progressives Congress, Ondo State has affirmed that its state congress scheduled for Tuesday will go ahead, despite a restraining order issued by the Federal High Court in Akure.

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The party’s National Vice Chairman (South-West), Mr Isaacs Kekemeke, stated on Monday that he had not been formally notified of any court order.

“I’m a lawyer. I don’t rely on social media for information.

The national headquarters of the party has yet to notify me as a zonal chairman or inform the congress committee that they have received any document, and there is no directive from the national headquarters.

If we have instructions or directives from the national secretariat, it will be obeyed,” Kekemeke said.

Earlier on Monday, the Federal High Court, sitting in Akure, restrained the APC from conducting its state congress and nullified the ward and local government congresses held on February 18 and 21, 2026.

The restraining order was granted ex parte by Justice Toyin Adegoke, pending determination of a substantive suit filed by aggrieved party members led by Lawrence Adebayo and 7,427 others. The APC and Independent National Electoral Commission are defendants in the suit.

The court ordered both respondents to maintain the status quo ante bellum and prohibited any action that could prejudice the hearing of the injunction.

The ruling specifically restrained INEC from acknowledging, accepting, or validating the purported congresses conducted by the APC.

Despite the court order, the APC’s Ondo State Publicity Secretary, Mr Alex Kalejaye, insisted that the congress would proceed as approved by the party’s National Working Committee.

“In line with the constitution and guidelines for the conduct of nationwide congresses, the Ondo State chapter cordially invites statutory delegates, critical stakeholders and party leaders to the State Congress of Ondo State APC,” Kalejaye said.

Tensions within the party have escalated in recent weeks. Ward congresses across the federation proceeded under directives from the national secretariat, but in Ondo State, the Idanre Local Government Area ward congress turned violent.

State police confirmed the deaths of two persons, with several others injured. Thirteen individuals were arrested in connection with the violence, according to the state police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh.

The unrest followed a separate attack on the Akure office of the party a day earlier, in which thugs reportedly assaulted the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin.

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As the state prepares for the planned congress, party leaders emphasised that they are committed to law and order while legal challenges remain unresolved.