An aspirant for the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Engr.(Dr).Kemi Elebute-Halle, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, over what she described as the unfair treatment and marginalisation of women during the APC House of Representatives primaries held in Ekiti State on May 16, 2026.
Engr.(Dr).Kemi Elebute Halle, who was the only female aspirant contesting for the House of Representatives seat in her constituency, expressed disappointment over what she termed a deliberate attempt to deny women a fair opportunity in the party’s democratic process.
In separate petitions dated May 17, 2026, and addressed to President Tinubu and Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the APC woman leader and aspirant alleged that the primary process was manipulated through an opaque consensus arrangement that favoured predetermined male candidates.
She maintained that despite fulfilling all constitutional requirements, including payment of nomination fees, consultations, mobilisation of delegates, and active participation throughout the process, she was allegedly sidelined without fairness or inclusion.
According to her, the outcome of the primaries contradicted President Tinubu’s earlier directive calling for special consideration for women and youths ahead of the nationwide APC primaries.
Engr.(Dr).Kemi Elebute Halle stated that as the only female aspirant in the race, she expected encouragement, inclusion, and equal opportunity, especially in line with the progressive ideals and affirmative action principles of the APC.
She said, “As the only female House of Representatives aspirant in the constituency, I believed the party would demonstrate fairness and inclusiveness by giving women a voice and an opportunity to participate meaningfully. Sadly, the process did not reflect those values.”
The female aspirant further alleged intimidation, procedural sabotage, and exclusion during consultations and delegate engagements, adding that the development sends a wrong signal to women and young girls aspiring to participate in politics.
She warned that sidelining qualified female aspirants could discourage women from actively participating in future elections and weaken the APC’s grassroots appeal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Describing the development as a betrayal of the party’s progressive ideology,Engr.(Dr). Kemi Elebute-Halle appealed to President Tinubu to order an independent review of the Ekiti APC primaries and ensure justice for women who were allegedly denied fair participation.
She also called for corrective measures, including reruns(if possible)in constituencies where due process was allegedly compromised, while demanding sanctions against party officials accused of disregarding the President’s inclusion directive.
In her appeal to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Engr.(Dr).Kemi Elebute Halle praised her political journey and contributions to national development, describing her as a strong symbol of hope and inspiration to women in leadership.
She urged the First Lady to intervene by engaging the APC national leadership and advocating fairness, justice, and affirmative inclusion for women within the party structure. It can not be that all the Six(6)Green chamber position in Ekiti State are occupied by men alone in a state where the largest number of voters are women/youth.
The aspirant maintained that swift intervention would further strengthen the APC’s commitment to gender equity, inclusiveness, and democratic fairness across the country.
