The Ondo State Rainbow Coalition has set a target of delivering at least one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in Ondo State in the 2027 presidential election, while declaring its readiness to mobilise voters across the state’s 18 local government areas.
The Chairman of the coalition, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, disclosed this in an interview, saying the group had established structures across the state, including 18 local government coordinators, 203 ward coordinators and polling unit canvassers, with a membership register of more than 45,000 people.
Adesanya said the coalition was implementing a three-phase mobilisation strategy comprising grassroots organisation, voter engagement and education, and vote protection ahead of the election.
He explained that the ongoing voter engagement involved door-to-door sensitisation, with plans to reach market women, transport operators, artisans and other groups through market and motor park rallies.
According to him, the coalition’s media team is also using Yoruba, Ilaje, Ikale and Akoko dialects to communicate its messages to residents across the state.
Adesanya said the coalition intended to deploy five trained agents per ward on January 16, 2027, to encourage participation and help ensure that votes cast were properly protected.
He also declared the coalition’s support for Matthew Oyerinmade, popularly known as MATO, for the Ondo South Senatorial District seat.
On the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, Adesanya acknowledged that the policies had increased transportation costs, food prices and the general cost of living for Nigerians.
He, however, argued that the reforms were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges and maintained that the benefits would become more evident over time.
“We must be honest with Nigerians. The removal of fuel subsidy was a painful but necessary surgery,” adding that the immediate hardship had been felt by residents across the state, including market women and students.
Adesanya said increased allocations from the Federation Account, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and the Federal Government’s compressed natural gas initiative were among the measures he believed would help cushion the effects of the reforms.
He also cited the unification of exchange rates as part of the administration’s economic measures, arguing that it had reduced opportunities for currency arbitrage.
The coalition chairman urged Nigerians to exercise patience, insisting that the full impact of the reforms would take time to materialise.
Addressing concerns over the rising cost of living, unemployment and declining purchasing power, Adesanya said the coalition was engaging dissatisfied voters by listening to their complaints and explaining the rationale behind the Federal Government’s policies.
He said the group was highlighting government programmes, including the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the CNG programme and the new minimum wage, as measures intended to create opportunities and improve livelihoods.
Adesanya also claimed that Ondo State had benefited from increased federal allocations, appointments of indigenes and infrastructure projects under the Tinubu administration.
He listed the resumption of work on the Akure-Ado Ekiti Road, approval for the proposed Akure-Ore-Igbokoda Road dualisation, and approval for a teaching hospital for the Federal University of Technology, Akure, among the developments he attributed to the Federal Government.
He further cited federal appointments involving Ondo indigenes and the recruitment of more than 2,000 youths into agencies including the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Fire Service.
The coalition chairman said the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account had risen from about ₦5 billion to more than ₦12 billion, a claim that could not be independently verified from the interview.
Looking ahead to 2027, Adesanya called for the completion of the Akure-Ado Ekiti Road and approval of the proposed Ondo Deep Seaport, which he said could create employment opportunities for residents of Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas.
He also called for greater federal presence in Ondo South and consideration of more Ondo indigenes for strategic positions in federal institutions.
On efforts to tackle voter apathy, Adesanya said the coalition had established youth and women’s wings and planned to organise town hall meetings across the state, including in tertiary institutions such as Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko; the Federal University of Technology, Akure; and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa.
He said young people and women constituted a significant part of the coalition’s grassroots structure, adding that the group would encourage eligible voters to participate in the electoral process.
On peaceful campaigning, Adesanya said the coalition had adopted a commitment against violence, insults and vote-buying.
He added that its ward coordinators had been warned against engaging in political thuggery, which he said could attract expulsion from the organisation.
According to him, the coalition would work with the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Orientation Agency and the police to promote peaceful participation and issue-based campaigns.
“Our campaign is issue-based. We sell Tinubu’s achievements and MATO’s personality, not abuse opponents,” he said.
Adesanya said the coalition’s political philosophy was to work beyond party affiliations while pursuing what it described as common goals for the state and the country.
THE HOPE
