By Ade Oyeyemi
President Bola Tinubu has directed leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State to unite behind Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and recognise him as the coordinator of the party’s campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Tinubu also urged Aiyedatiwa to accommodate all party leaders and stakeholders in the campaign structure, stressing the need for inclusiveness and reconciliation to secure victory for the APC.
The President’s directives were conveyed by the Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Director-General (South) of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during the party’s presidential campaign rally at the Akure Township Stadium on Wednesday.
Bamidele said Tinubu had sent two major messages to political leaders and residents of the state, with the first centred on unity and the need to recognise the governor’s leadership of the campaign.
According to him, the President insisted that all party leaders must work under a single campaign coordinator in the state.
“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,” Bamidele said.
He, however, emphasised that Aiyedatiwa must also create room for every influential party member to participate actively in the campaign, in line with the President’s directive.
“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,” he added.
Bamidele urged the party to sustain the reconciliation achieved following the last governorship election, noting that the forthcoming January 16, 2027 poll was a presidential and National Assembly election rather than a governorship contest.
He said Tinubu had reminded party members that the election was primarily about securing his re-election and should not be allowed to generate unnecessary divisions within the APC.
“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 stated.
The Senate leader specifically called for the involvement of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and other political stakeholders who had returned to the APC, insisting that every political tendency and senatorial district must have a role in the campaign.
He noted that Aiyedatiwa had pledged to secure at least one million votes for Tinubu in Ondo State, adding that achieving the target would require cooperation among the party’s leaders.
Bamidele said the President’s second message was a call for peace, mutual understanding and collective commitment, warning against political divisions and the exclusion of any stakeholder.
He explained that Tinubu urged leaders not to interpret his individual acknowledgements or appreciation of political figures as favouritism, saying his actions were guided by the broader interests of the state.
Earlier, Aiyedatiwa had assured the President that Ondo State would deliver at least one million votes for his re-election, expressing confidence that the Federal Government’s economic reforms were beginning to produce positive results at the grassroots.
The governor listed the recruitment of more than 6,000 workers, construction of roads and bridges, rehabilitation of healthcare facilities and support for young entrepreneurs among the achievements of his administration.
He also praised Tinubu for appointing three prominent indigenes of Ondo State as ministers, describing the appointments as recognition of the state’s contributions to national development.
Former Governor Mimiko equally pledged to work with other APC leaders to secure victory for Tinubu and the party’s National Assembly candidates.
Mimiko said the President had helped build political consensus among influential leaders, adding that such cooperation was necessary to address critical national challenges, particularly insecurity and economic reforms.
Also speaking, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who represented the APC governors, urged residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, noting that several cards were still unclaimed at offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In his goodwill message, former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, commended Tinubu for appointing prominent Ondo indigenes to strategic positions in his administration.
Oshiomhole described Ondo State as a place blessed with people of exceptional intellectual capacity, particularly acknowledging the Minister of State for Finance, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Wisdom; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
He said their appointments demonstrated the President’s confidence in the state’s human resources.
The senator also praised Tinubu’s economic policies aimed at reviving the manufacturing sector, arguing that increased local production would create employment opportunities and strengthen the economy.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented Tinubu at the rally, challenged Ondo APC to deliver 1.2 million votes for the President, citing the support he said Tinubu enjoyed among political leaders in the state.
The rally attracted APC governors, ministers, members of the National Assembly, national party officials and other political stakeholders.
