The Ondo State chapter of Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT), has shunned the directive by the state’s chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to all support groups working for President Bola Tinubu’s reelection to register with it, warning against alleged coercion.
A statement on Friday by the GMT spokesman in the state, Mr Ojo Oyewamide, said:
“We have read the statement credited to Otunba Muyide Kayode, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, directing all support groups working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to register with the party.
“Following this, we have received numerous calls from our supporters across the state, particularly from those who are still grieving the loss of loved ones or are currently hospitalised as a result of incidents that occurred during the last party ward congress.
“It is rather unfortunate that the present executive members of the state APC appear more concerned with issuing directives than seeking legitimacy and reconciliation from party members who were forcefully thrown out of the same party secretariat they now occupy.
“At this critical time, they ought to have allowed sleeping dogs to lie and focused on uniting all stakeholders for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rather than issuing draconian orders aimed at coercing people into submission.
“Today, several support groups, including civil society organisations, market women, socio-cultural bodies and other interest groups, are actively working for the re-election of President Tinubu, deploying their personal resources to fund mobilisation efforts.
“It is surprising that individuals who did not emerge as delegates at their ward levels, in accordance with party guidelines before their emergence as state executives, are now attempting to issue directives and collapse various independent groups under one umbrella.
“They now seek to reintroduce the same process they denied last year. Ironically, these support groups they intend to coerce have remained the backbone of the party’s survival over the past year.
“It is also on record that the APC in Ondo State last held ward meetings across the 203 wards in November 2024, in the build-up to the governorship election. Since then, there has been no meaningful party engagement, aside from reported cases of violence, intimidation and disruption of lawful congresses by thugs.
“From our end, we will firmly resist any attempt to use party structures to coerce us into submission. The APC in Ondo State stands to gain more by encouraging and supporting the efforts of various groups working for the president’s re-election rather than embarking on actions that suggest vendetta.
“Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the leader of the party in the state, has consistently maintained that he welcomes the emergence of more support groups just as many groups contributed to his own electoral success.
“We therefore advise the current leadership of the party to focus on policies and actions that will unite members, heal existing wounds and foster reconciliation instead of pursuing teleguided vendetta.
“The return of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains our watchword. The Ondo APC has a greater responsibility to unite its members than to issue fruitless directives that could undermine the party’s chances in the next elections.
“We view this directive as an anti-mobilisation move against the re-election of President Tinubu. GMT is a national body duly registered with the APC at the national level in Abuja. The Ondo State chapter derives its authority from the party’s national structure.”
Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT), Ondo State
April 17, 2026
