Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has drawn a clear line ahead of the 2027 elections: one APC, one structure, one campaign.
Speaking at a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Council in Akure on Monday, the Ondo State governor unveiled a mobilisation strategy aimed at strengthening the party across the state and preparing its structures for the next general elections.
Aiyedatiwa directed the Elders Council to become fully active across all 18 local government areas, while urging party leaders and members to work together rather than allow internal divisions to weaken the APC.
His message was unequivocal: the party must remain united if it wants to retain political strength in Ondo State.
‘There Are No Two APCs’
The governor warned members against efforts to create rival structures within the party, particularly competing factions of the Elders Council.
He said anyone involved in such moves should not be treated as an outsider but encouraged to return to the party’s main structure.
Aiyedatiwa stressed that the APC has a single identity and leadership structure in the state.
He also called for the cooperation of elders, women, youths and other party members, arguing that the success of his administration and the party’s electoral fortunes are closely connected.
Mobilisation Across 3,933 Polling Units
The governor said the mobilisation effort must reach the grassroots rather than remain concentrated at the state level.
The APC, he said, must be active across:
- 18 local government areas
- 203 wards
- 3,933 polling units
He directed the party leadership to work closely with local structures and ensure that elders are actively involved in the mobilisation process.
To make participation easier, he proposed holding Elders Council meetings within the local government areas, reducing the need for members to travel long distances to Akure.
State-level meetings could then be held periodically, including on a quarterly or half-yearly basis.
Aiyedatiwa Backs Tinubu for 2027
The governor also used the meeting to rally support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He argued that supporting the President would require the party to remain united and mobilise voters behind his candidacy.
Aiyedatiwa credited Tinubu’s economic reforms with increasing the resources available to state governments for development projects and programmes.
He described the President as courageous in taking difficult decisions that, in his view, are creating opportunities for governments to implement development initiatives.
But the governor stressed that the mobilisation effort must extend beyond the presidential race.
‘Every APC Candidate Matters’
Aiyedatiwa urged party members to support APC candidates contesting at every level, including the:
- Senate
- House of Representatives
- Ondo State House of Assembly
His argument was that a strong party organisation cannot focus on one election while neglecting others.
He also reminded members that political parties ultimately seek to win and retain political power, making grassroots organisation essential to the APC’s ambitions.
Elders Asked to Strengthen the Party
APC State Chairman Kolawole Babatunde backed the governor’s emphasis on the Elders Council.
Babatunde said the experience of senior party figures remains important to the organisation, particularly because many of them were involved in the political evolution from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Action Congress (AC) and eventually the APC.
He noted that the APC constitution recognises the Elders Council as part of the party’s formal structure.
According to him, the council has responsibilities that include:
- advising the party;
- promoting stability;
- initiating policies;
- regulating proceedings; and
- helping formulate a code of conduct.
Elders Call for Unity
Earlier, Elders Council Chairman Senator Nimbe Farukanmi urged members to close ranks and support both Aiyedatiwa and Tinubu.
He described the meeting as an important opportunity for party leaders from Ondo’s three senatorial districts to reconnect and discuss the state’s political direction.
Other elders, including Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Hon. Joseph Akinlaja, Pastor Segun Ayerin and Mrs Jumoke Anifowose-Ajasin, welcomed the meeting and commended the governor and state chairman for convening it.
The 2027 Test Begins Now
The message from the Akure meeting was less about a single campaign event and more about building the machinery before election season intensifies.
Aiyedatiwa wants the APC’s structures aligned from the state leadership down to individual polling units—and, crucially, wants internal disputes settled before they become electoral liabilities.
For the governor, the calculation is straightforward:
Unity first. Grassroots mobilisation next. Victory in 2027 as the objective.