says no rivalry among party members

The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the party is united ahead of the 2027 general election, rejecting reports of internal division and expressing confidence that it will deliver victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its other candidates.

At a press conference on Friday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Akure, the APC state chairman, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, said there was no basis for talk of rivalry among party leaders..

He said members belong to one political family, noting that there will be no governorship election in Ondo State in 2027 and that Tinubu is the party’s sole presidential candidate.

“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.

Kolawole thanked President Tinubu and the APC National Chairman for their support.

He also commended the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, and other party members for their role in the campaign.

Reconciliation drive

The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign in Ondo State, Victor Olabimtan, said the reconciliation committee set up after the party congress had engaged party organs, interest groups and individuals nationwide, including leaders in Abuja and Lagos.

He pointed to the presence of formerly estranged leaders such as Wale Akinterinwa and Princess Oladunni Odu at the recent presidential campaign rally in Ondo State as proof that the effort was working.

He added that he had personally reached out to some leaders, and that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had made uniting all tendencies a priority.

Olabimtan said Tinubu’s emergence offered members a chance to set aside differences and consolidate. “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,” he said.

He expressed confidence that this unity would produce wins for Tinubu and for the party’s senatorial, House of Representatives, and state and national assembly candidates.

Women’s mobilisation

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Seun Osamaye, pledged women’s support for Tinubu’s re-election and said united mobilisation was key to the one million votes target in the state.

She credited the expected backing to federal and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s interventions in women’s empowerment, education, social inclusion and protection of vulnerable groups.

According to her, Ondo State has benefited from more than 20 Renewed Hope initiatives, including:distribution of 10,000 professional kits to nurses and healthcare assistants, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) , youth agribusiness programmes, the Every Home Garden programme, which promotes household food cultivation.

She said women could now access government support without begging or lobbying.

“For the first time, government is not for the privileged few. Many women now benefit without having to beg or lobby,” she said.

Osamaye predicted an unprecedented showing for Tinubu in the state on January 16, 2027.

She dismissed claims of strained relations among party leaders, describing Princess Odu, the state’s first female Secretary to the State Government, as a respected leader with whom she has a cordial relationship.

She also called Governor Aiyedatiwa the undisputed leader of the APC in Ondo State.

Assurance on security

APC chieftain Chief Olusola Oke dismissed concerns about political thuggery, saying Ondo State remained peaceful and no opposition member or party had been attacked.

He praised the state media for widening discussions beyond the campaign rally to the broader national political situation.

Oke said reports of rising thuggery elsewhere did not reflect Ondo’s situation, arguing that the support of political parties in the state for Tinubu left no reason for violence.

While acknowledging violence in other parts of the country, he linked it to opposition to the President’s reforms and alleged that some individuals were trying to undermine the electoral process out of fear of losing political relevance after Tinubu’s tenure.

He expressed confidence that security agencies would deal with those responsible and commended Governor Aiyedatiwa, as Chief Security Officer of the state, for maintaining peace.

He added that tensions are inevitable in a diverse country like Nigeria but that isolated incidents should not disturb the peace needed for the 2027 polls.”

At the end of the day, we are going to have the most peaceful election,” he said.