Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the Interior Minister, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has urged the people of Ondo State to unite and support the reelection bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He spoke on Wednesday in Akure, the state capital, at the formal reception into the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of members of the Nigeria Workstation cutting across opposition parties, led by former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Hon Kennedy Peretei.
Nigeria Workstation is a Grassroots Media Advocacy, Research and Strategy Group, comprising former members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party, SDP and Action Alliance, AA, who “decided to join forces with the progressive family.”
Besides, there were harvests of Sunshine Grassroots Network, “whose mandate is to clean up the remnants of the opposition and align them with the APC.”
In his goodwill message read by Chief Muyiwa Asagunla, the minister stressed: “the time has come for the people of Ondo State to speak with one voice in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Tunji Ojo, who, together with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, facilitated the decamping, specifically thanked the President for the ongoing dualisation of the Ore-Akure Road; Ilesa – Akure – Benin dualisation; the Akure-Ado-Ekiti road dualisation; and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway which will pass through Ondo State.
He said that this infrastructural development and the various reforms being executed by President Tinubu “must be sustained beyond 2027.”
In his speech at the occasion, the Convener of Nigeria Workstation, Mr Kennedy Peretei, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa, who he described as “fantastic” in the build-up to the ceremony, saying: “We sincerely appreciate him.”
Also, he praised the Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo, who he described as “the Star Boy of the Tinubu administration… profoundly appreciated for providing a ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ kind of support for making today a reality.”
He said, “We wish to specially thank Engr. Ade Adetimehin and members of the State Executive Committee of the APC for opening their doors wide to accept us.”
On why he and his associates dumped their former parties, he drew references from the universally accepted definition of politics by Harold Laswell as “who gets what, when and how”, and another which saw it simply as ”Election and Government.”
In Peretei’s words: “If you marry these two definitions, you will come to the realisation that, if you are in politics and not in government, you are just in a social club.
“I do not mean that Nigeria should be a one party State. But when the leadership of the opposition is not deliberate, coordinated and focused on how to win election and therefore form government, then, there will be no justification for being in opposition.
“It is against this background that today, those of us in the Nigeria Workstation, a Grassroots Media Advocacy, Research and Strategy Group, comprising former members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party, SDP and Action Alliance, AA decided to join forces with the progressive family.
“Also in this hall are harvests of Sunshine Grassroots Network, a group whose mandate is to clean up the remnants of the opposition and align them with the APC.”
Peretei said that with the decamping of Nigeria Workstation members from their former parties into the ruling party, opposition was dead in the state.
His words, “Recently, some opposition figures criticized President Bola Tinubu for trying to foist a single political party on Nigerians.
“His reply was very straightforward and simple. “It is not my business to organize the opposition”. Is there anything to add?
“Today, you have seen the faces of what was referred to as the last plank of opposition. Hence, from today, there is only one party in Ondo State, which is the APC.
“Perhaps from the grave yard, there may be one or two shrill sounds. Such don’t amount to much, they are mere echoes.
“The people present here represent a small fraction of our numerical strength as it is impossible to mobilise all our supporters to this City Hall.
“But we make bold to declare that the significance of today will be appreciated in the next round of elections in Ondo State.”
APC State Chairman, Engnr Ade Adetehin received the decampees on behalf of the party’s National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, and Governor Aiyedatiwa.
He welcomed them to his party which he said has room enough to accommodate all.
Adetimehin said President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda has positively touched the people of Ondo State. Therefore, he said there is the need to repay Mr President by giving him the needed support to continue his good work.
He assured the new members that they will have equal opportunities in the party.
Aiyedatiwa to receive decamping Ondo key opposition politicians
