By Ade Oyeyemi
President Bola Tinubu has urged Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, serving ministers, federal appointees and leaders of the All Progressives Congress to close ranks and work together to secure victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The President specifically directed all APC leaders in the state to recognise Aiyedatiwa as the coordinator of the party’s presidential campaign and cooperate with him to deliver the expected electoral victory.
Tinubu also charged the governor to accommodate all party stakeholders and provide them with opportunities to participate actively in the campaign, expressing optimism that a united APC would secure an unprecedented number of votes in the state.
The President’s position was conveyed by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during the flag-off of the APC presidential campaign rally at the Akure Township Stadium on Wednesday.
Bamidele said Tinubu wanted party members to treat the forthcoming election as a collective responsibility, stressing that the contest was about securing his second term and not another governorship election.
He recalled that party leaders had worked towards reconciliation during the previous membership and governorship processes, urging them to sustain the cooperation ahead of the presidential poll.
According to him, the President insisted that all political leaders must recognise the governor’s position as the sole campaign coordinator in Ondo 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 added that Tinubu had equally instructed Aiyedatiwa to open his doors to party leaders and ensure their involvement in the campaign.
Bamidele specifically mentioned prominent APC figures from the three senatorial districts, including Chief Oladunni Odu, former party chairman, D.I. Kekemeke, Chief Olusola Oke and Wale Akinterinwa, urging the governor to give them meaningful roles.
He also called for the involvement of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and other political figures who had returned to the APC, noting that their experience and political structures would be valuable to the party’s electoral efforts.
The Senate leader said Aiyedatiwa had promised to deliver at least one million votes for Tinubu, adding that the target could only be achieved through genuine cooperation among party stakeholders.
Bamidele further reminded Ondo residents of the President’s appointments of three ministers from the state, as well as the appointment of two indigenes as ambassadors, including Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and ambassador to Russia.
He urged the electorate to demonstrate appreciation for the appointments and other federal interventions through their votes.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who represented Tinubu at the rally, urged Ondo residents to turn out massively for the APC in the forthcoming elections.
Shettima said the President had done considerably well for the state and the country, assuring residents that more development initiatives would follow if Tinubu secured another term.
In his address, Aiyedatiwa highlighted ongoing Federal Government projects in Ondo State and acknowledged the number of indigenes occupying strategic positions in the Tinubu administration.
The governor reiterated his commitment to delivering at least one million votes for the President, promising to take the campaign to communities across the state.
“We will go to the mountains to tell the people about all your achievements and projects in Ondo State,” Aiyedatiwa said.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, urged Ondo residents to support Tinubu’s re-election, describing their votes as an opportunity to appreciate the President’s interventions in the state.
Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, also canvassed support for Tinubu, promising that another term would bring further dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
