Ondo APC leaders pledge unity ahead of 2027 elections
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State is making a strong political statement ahead of the 2027 general elections: the party is united, its internal disagreements are being addressed, and its leadership is confident of delivering electoral victories for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates seeking election under its platform.
The message, coming from prominent figures within the party, is both a declaration of political strength and an attempt to reassure members, supporters and observers that the APC is determined to put its house in order before the next national electoral contest.
At a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Akure, the state capital, the party leadership dismissed suggestions of a deepening crisis, insisting that the various tendencies within the Ondo APC remain part of one political family.
It was a carefully coordinated show of confidence, with the state chairman, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole; the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign in Ondo State, Victor Olabimtan; Chief Olusola Oke; and the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Seun Osamaye, all reinforcing the same central message: the party must remain united to secure victory in 2027.
For the Ondo APC, the stakes are considerable. Beyond its determination to deliver a strong showing for Tinubu, the party must sustain its political structure, manage competing interests and ensure that the goodwill generated by its reconciliation efforts translates into votes across the state.
Perhaps the most significant issue addressed at the briefing was the question of internal cohesion.
Like many political organisations with competing ambitions and influential personalities, the Ondo APC has had to contend with disagreements among its leaders and members. Such differences are not unusual in a party with several political interests, but their management can determine whether a party emerges stronger or becomes vulnerable to electoral challenges.
Kolawole was emphatic that there was no justification for treating members of the party as rivals.
He argued that the absence of a governorship election in Ondo State in 2027, alongside Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate, should reduce the immediate grounds for political confrontation among members.
“Therefore, there is no rivalry. There is no cause for alarm. I can assure you we are on top of it and everything will be okay,” he said.
His position reflects the leadership’s desire to shift attention away from internal competition towards the broader objective of retaining political relevance and strengthening the party’s electoral prospects.
However, unity in a political party is rarely achieved through declarations alone. It requires sustained engagement, fairness in the distribution of political opportunities, respect for established interests and a willingness among leaders to accommodate one another.
This is where the reconciliation initiative being pursued by the Ondo APC becomes particularly important.
Olabimtan disclosed that the reconciliation committee established after the party congress had embarked on engagements with party organs, interest groups and individual leaders, including those outside the state.
The committee, he explained, had visited Abuja to meet some party leaders and reached out to others in Lagos and different parts of the country.
He also pointed to the participation of previously estranged political figures, including Wale Akinterinwa and Princess Oladunni Odu, at the recent presidential campaign rally in Ondo State as evidence that the reconciliation process was yielding results.
According to him, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had made the unification of the different tendencies within the APC a major responsibility since assuming leadership of the party in the state.
“Nobody is left out. All we need to do is to ensure that we put more effort into strengthening the existing unity that we are all enjoying in the party today,” Olabimtan said.
His remarks suggest that the party leadership recognises the importance of bringing influential figures together, particularly those whose political structures and grassroots networks could prove decisive during the elections.
The challenge, however, is to ensure that reconciliation is not limited to symbolic appearances at rallies and political gatherings but becomes a lasting commitment to collective decision-making.
Governor Aiyedatiwa occupies a central position in the Ondo APC’s emerging political arrangement.
As the governor and the party’s acknowledged leader in the state, his ability to maintain relationships across competing political blocs will be crucial to the party’s preparations for 2027.
Osamaye described him as the undisputed leader of the APC in Ondo State, insisting that he enjoys the support of party members.
Olabimtan, on his part, credited the governor with making reconciliation a priority, suggesting that the administration understands the political consequences of allowing divisions to persist.
For Aiyedatiwa, therefore, the task goes beyond maintaining political authority. It involves building an inclusive party structure in which influential leaders, elected representatives, former aspirants, women, youths and grassroots supporters can identify with a common political agenda.
The participation of figures such as Akinterinwa and Odu in the presidential campaign rally is an encouraging development, but the sustainability of such gestures will depend on the willingness of all sides to maintain open channels of communication.
The absence of a governorship election in 2027 may provide some breathing space for the party, but it does not eliminate political interests or future ambitions. Indeed, the management of those interests could become even more important as the party looks beyond the immediate election cycle
Another important dimension of the APC’s 2027 strategy is the mobilisation of women.
Osamaye, who spoke as Commissioner for Women Affairs, expressed confidence that women across Ondo State would mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, with the party targeting one million votes from the state.
She linked the anticipated support to interventions by the Federal Government and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, particularly in economic empowerment, education, social inclusion and social protection.
According to her, Ondo State has benefited from more than 20 interventions under the Renewed Hope initiatives.
She highlighted the distribution of 10,000 professional kits to nurses and professional healthcare assistants, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), programmes promoting youth participation in agribusiness and the Every Home Garden initiative.
She also pointed to economic empowerment programmes through which thousands of women had reportedly received government support.
“For the first time, government is not for the privileged few. Many women now benefit without having to beg or lobby,” she said.
Her argument places women at the centre of the APC’s electoral mobilisation strategy, recognising their importance not only as voters but also as organisers, community influencers and participants in grassroots political engagement.
Nevertheless, the success of this strategy will depend on how effectively the government communicates its interventions and how far beneficiaries experience tangible improvements in their economic and social circumstances.
Political support is often strengthened when public programmes produce visible results, particularly among women who bear significant responsibilities in household management, family welfare and small-scale economic activities.
For the APC, translating these interventions into electoral support will require sustained engagement beyond campaign periods.
The one million votes target is ambitious, and achieving it will require coordination among women leaders, party structures, local government campaign teams and community-based organisations.
While party unity and mobilisation dominated much of the discussion, the question of electoral security also featured prominently.
Chief Olusola Oke dismissed concerns about political thuggery ahead of the 2027 elections, maintaining that Ondo State remained peaceful and that no opposition member or political party had been attacked by thugs.
He argued that reports of political violence in other parts of the country should not be mistaken for the situation in Ondo State.
Oke commended the state media for its vigilance and professionalism, particularly in extending public discussions beyond the presidential campaign rally to broader political developments across Nigeria.
He also expressed confidence in the ability of security agencies to deal with individuals responsible for political violence, while commending Aiyedatiwa for maintaining security in the state.
His position is significant because a peaceful electoral environment is essential to credible political competition.
However, the assurance of peace must be matched by continued vigilance, impartial law enforcement and respect for the rights of political opponents.
A democratic election should not only be peaceful for the ruling party but also safe for opposition parties, candidates, voters, journalists and electoral officials.
Oke acknowledged that disagreements and tensions were inevitable in a diverse country such as Nigeria, but maintained that isolated security incidents should not be allowed to undermine the atmosphere required for the 2027 elections.
“At the end of the day, we are going to have the most peaceful election,” he assured.
That aspiration is one that should be shared by all political stakeholders in the state, regardless of party affiliation.
At the national level, the APC’s preparations are closely tied to the political fortunes of President Tinubu.
The Ondo chapter has openly declared its determination to deliver substantial votes for the President, with Kolawole acknowledging the support of the President and the party’s national leadership.
He also commended Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, and other party faithful for their contributions to the campaign.
Olabimtan expressed confidence that the party’s renewed unity would translate into victories for Tinubu, senators, members of the House of Representatives and candidates seeking seats in the state and national assemblies.
This is an important distinction in the party’s electoral calculations. Although the presidential election is central to its mobilisation, the APC must also secure support for its legislative candidates and sustain its influence across the political constituencies in Ondo State.
Its ability to achieve this will depend on the strength of its local structures, the popularity of its candidates, the effectiveness of its campaign machinery and the extent to which voters identify with its programmes and performance.
The party’s leaders appear convinced that reconciliation will provide the necessary foundation.
Yet the 2027 election will ultimately be decided by voters, whose expectations extend beyond party unity and campaign promises to issues such as employment, infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and the cost of living.
For the APC, the task is therefore twofold: maintaining internal cohesion while demonstrating that its political leadership can respond to the everyday concerns of the electorate.
The message from Akure is unmistakable. The Ondo APC wants to move into the 2027 general elections as a cohesive political organisation, confident in its leadership, reconciliation process and electoral strength.
Kolawole’s rejection of rivalry, Olabimtan’s assurance that nobody has been excluded, Osamaye’s commitment to women’s mobilisation and Oke’s confidence in the state’s security environment all form part of a broader effort to project stability.
There are encouraging signs in the willingness of party leaders to publicly embrace reconciliation and acknowledge the importance of working together.
But the real measure of unity will not be the number of leaders who appear together at a press conference or campaign rally. It will be whether the party can sustain inclusion, manage disagreements peacefully and give its members a genuine sense of belonging.
The Ondo APC has made its intentions clear. It wants to consolidate its political base, deliver a strong result for Tinubu and secure victories for its candidates in 2027.
Whether that confidence will translate into electoral success remains to be seen.
For now, the party appears determined to put its internal differences behind it and face the coming political contest with a common purpose. The challenge is to ensure that the unity being proclaimed in Akure becomes a reality across all 18 local government areas of Ondo State.
In the final analysis, the strength of the Ondo APC ahead of 2027 will not be measured simply by the assurances of its leaders, but by the depth of its reconciliation, the inclusiveness of its structure and its ability to earn the trust and confidence of the electorate.
