AIYEDATIWA UNVEILS APC 2027 MOBILISATION PLAN, CALLS FOR UNITY ACROSS ONDO

AIYEDATIWA UNVEILS APC 2027 MOBILISATION PLAN, CALLS FOR UNITY ACROSS ONDO

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has called for unity among members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state as the party begins preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Aiyedatiwa made the call on Monday, August 31, 2026, while addressing members of the APC Elders Council at a meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Akure.

The governor also outlined a mobilisation strategy for the party and directed the activation of the APC Elders Council across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Aiyedatiwa stressed that the APC must operate as a single political organisation, warning members against actions capable of creating divisions within the party.

“APC is one. There are no two APCs in Ondo State. APC is one, All Progressives Congress,” the governor said.

He said members who were attempting to establish a separate faction of the Elders Council should be engaged and encouraged to return to the party’s mainstream structure.

“We don’t want to leave anybody out. Even those who are trying to create another faction, we are talking to them that APC must remain one,” he added.

The governor said the success of his administration and the development of Ondo State required the collective support of party elders, women, youths and other stakeholders.

“I need the support of everyone: the elders, the women, the youth, everyone,” Aiyedatiwa said.

He also encouraged party members to participate actively in governance by providing constructive advice and support, rather than allowing disagreements to undermine the party’s cohesion.

Aiyedatiwa urged APC members to work closely with the state chairman and reactivate party structures across the state. He said the Elders Council should also be replicated at the local government level to enable wider participation by senior party members.

According to him, local government meetings would reduce the need for elders to travel long distances, while meetings of the state council could be held quarterly or twice a year.

The governor also appealed to APC members to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other party candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

He attributed increased financial resources available to states for development projects to reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, describing the President as courageous and decisive.

Aiyedatiwa stressed, however, that the party’s mobilisation should not be limited to the presidential election but should extend to APC candidates contesting the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections.

He said the party’s mobilisation efforts must cover all 18 local government areas, 203 wards and 3,933 polling units in Ondo State.

“The first thing is to bring everybody together under one umbrella; the umbrella of APC. We have only one party and we have only one chairman,” he said.

While highlighting the performance of his administration, Aiyedatiwa disclosed that more than 6,000 personnel had been recruited into the state public service since he assumed office as governor.

He said the recruitment covered teachers, health workers, agricultural personnel and primary healthcare workers, adding that some ad-hoc health workers had also been converted to full-time employees.

The governor further disclosed that about 500 additional personnel had been recruited into the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun.

On infrastructure, Aiyedatiwa said road construction projects were ongoing across the 18 local government areas, alongside urban renewal initiatives and work on the Akure flyover.

In the health sector, he listed the ongoing development of a 250-bed hospital in Ondo town, as well as 100-bed facilities in Okitipupa, Ikare and Irele. He said contractors had been mobilised to the sites.

The governor also said medical equipment had been procured for various health facilities, particularly the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), which, according to him, had received an MRI machine and a CT scanner.

He noted that the state had not previously purchased an MRI machine since its creation.

Speaking at the meeting, APC State Chairman, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde, said the experience and contributions of party elders remained important to the development of the APC.

Babatunde noted that the current State Working Committee was relatively young compared with some of the party leaders who had contributed to the political movement from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Congress (AC) and its subsequent formations to the APC.

He said the APC constitution recognises the Elders Council as an important component of the party structure, with responsibilities including advising the party, promoting stability, initiating policies, regulating proceedings and contributing to the formulation of a code of conduct.

The state chairman said greater involvement of the elders would strengthen the party as it prepares for the 2027 elections.

He also said the achievements of the Aiyedatiwa administration in infrastructure, healthcare, security and water supply would provide issues around which the party could campaign.

Earlier, the Chairman of the APC Elders Council, Senator Nimbe Farukanmi, appealed to party members to maintain unity and support both Governor Aiyedatiwa and President Tinubu.

Farukanmi described the meeting as an opportunity for APC leaders and members from the three senatorial districts to reconnect and discuss issues affecting the party and the state.

He commended Aiyedatiwa’s approach to engagement with party leaders, describing him as an open-minded leader who had reached out to him on matters concerning cooperation among members.

Other party elders, including Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Hon. Joseph Akinlaja, Pastor Segun Ayerin and Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose-Ajasin, commended the governor and the party chairman for convening the meeting.

The elders identified areas requiring attention within the party and called on members to support APC candidates across the various electoral contests ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Those who attended the meeting included the Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami; former Deputy Governors Alhaji Ali Olanusi, Otunba Omolade Oluwateru and Alhaji Abdulazeez Oluboyo; Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council, Chief Pius Akinyelure; Vice Chairman of the APC Elders Council, Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba; Executive Director of Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde; Chief Olusola Oke, among other party leaders and stakeholders.