2027: Tinubu Directs Ondo APC Leaders to Work With Aiyedatiwa, Says Gov is State Campaign Coordinator

President Bola Tinubu has directed all leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State to come under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as he is the Coordinator of the party’s campaigns in the state, and work together for a victorious presidential election in January. The President also charged Aiyedatiwa to open his doors to all party leaders and give them opportunities to play active roles in the campaigns. He stressed the need for unity and genuine reconciliation among members ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. The directives were conveyed by the Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Director-General (South) of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, at the party’s presidential campaign rally held at the Akure Township Stadium, on Wednesday Bamidele said Tinubu gave him two major messages for the people and political leaders of Ondo State, with the first focusing on the need for party cohesion and recognition of the governor’s leadership of the campaign. “The appeal of Mr President is that all our leaders should recognise that there is only one state coordinator for this campaign. “The state coordinator for this campaign is the governor of the state, and everybody must work with him,” he said. He, however, said the governor must also accommodate all leaders and stakeholders, adding that the President wanted every influential member of the party to be involved in the campaign. “The President also asked me to emphasise to the state coordinator, Governor Aiyedatiwa, that he must open his door to all the leaders of the party to work with him,” Bamidele said. He urged the party leadership to sustain the reconciliation achieved after the last governorship election, saying the forthcoming poll was a presidential and National Assembly election, not a governorship contest. “The President also said I should remind all of you that this election is about him. It is his own election. The election we are holding in Ondo State in January is not a governorship election,” he said. Bamidele called for the inclusion of all party leaders in the campaign structure, specifically mentioning former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and other political stakeholders who had returned to the APC fold. He said the party must provide opportunities for leaders from different political tendencies and senatorial districts to contribute meaningfully to the campaign. The Senate leader said Aiyedatiwa had promised to deliver at least one million votes for Tinubu in the state, noting that the target would require cooperation among party leaders. He added that the President’s second message was a call on all stakeholders to maintain peace, unity and understanding, warning against divisions and feelings of exclusion among party members. According to him, Tinubu urged political leaders and residents not to misconstrue his individual acknowledgements or appreciation of stakeholders, explaining that such gestures were intended to promote the collective interest of Ondo State. The message came amid renewed efforts by the party to consolidate its structures ahead of the 2027 elections. Earlier, Aiyedatiwa had assured Tinubu that Ondo State would deliver a minimum of one million votes for his re-election, saying the President’s economic reforms had begun to translate into development at the grassroots. The governor listed the recruitment of more than 6,000 workers, road and bridge construction, rehabilitation of health facilities and support for young entrepreneurs as some of the achievements of his administration. He also commended Tinubu for appointing three ministers from Ondo State, describing the appointments as recognition of the state’s contribution to national development. Former governor Olusegun Mimiko also pledged to work with other APC leaders to deliver votes for Tinubu and the party’s National Assembly candidates. Mimiko said the President had facilitated political consensus among influential political leaders, which he described as necessary for addressing major national issues, including insecurity and economic reforms. Also speaking, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who represented APC governors, called on Ondo residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), saying many collected cards were still awaiting collection at INEC offices. In his goodwill message, Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing prominent indigenes of Ondo State into strategic positions in his administration. He described the state as blessed with men and women of remarkable intellect. He particularly acknowledged the Minister of State for Finance, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Wisdom, and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. He described their appointments as evidence of the confidence Tinubu had in the state’s human resources. He said, “When the President needed not just a Minister of Finance, but one that will truly deploy experience and intellect, not only to reform the tax system but to manage the account for those transactions, he looked towards Ondo and knows that this state is blessed with men and women of remarkable intellect.” The senator also commended the President for reforms aimed at reviving the manufacturing sector, saying increased local production would help create jobs and improve economic opportunities for Nigerians. Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu at the rally, charged the state to deliver 1.2 million votes for the President, citing what he described as broad support for Tinubu among political leaders in Ondo State. The rally was attended by APC governors, ministers, members of the National Assembly, national party leaders and other political stakeholders.