2027: Aiyedatiwa, Tunji-Ojo united, working for Tinubu’s victory — Ondo APC chair

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, has declared that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, are united and working together to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Kolawole spoke in Akure on Wednesday at an endorsement programme organised by the Emerging Political Platform (EPP), a support group that endorsed President Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

He dismissed rumors of a rift between the two prominent Ondo politicians, describing them as “brothers” working toward the success of the APC and the Tinubu administration.

“When you mention the Minister and the Governor, you make it look as if there’s an issue. They are brothers.

“The Governor is the Governor, the leader of the party in the state. The Minister is also the Minister, working with Mr. President. They are one,” Kolawole said.

He attributed the state government’s ability to execute projects in sectors including roads, health and education partly to increased federal allocations to the state.

Kolawole also reiterated Aiyedatiwa’s warning against anti-party activities, saying members involved in such activities would face consequences.

“The Governor has said that he has zero tolerance for anti-party activities. He has said that there will be consequences for anybody that is involved in any form of anti-party activities in this state,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Asiwaju Mandate Group (AMG) in Ondo State, Olumuyiwa Asagunla, urged APC members to set aside their differences and work together ahead of the election.

Asagunla said the party had concluded its primaries and produced its candidates, adding that members should now focus on mobilising support for Tinubu and other APC candidates.

“This is not the time to say, ‘I’m for Paul, I’m for Apollo.’ We should come under one umbrella and work in unity,” he said.

He urged the party to target at least one million votes for Tinubu in Ondo State, arguing that the APC had an advantage as the dominant political party in the state.

“We should shave all differences and forge ahead so that we can deliver en masse for APC,” Asagunla said.

The President of EPP, Dr Dolapo Fatogun, described the endorsement as a “new beginning” for the APC in the state and said the group was committed to supporting Tinubu and other APC candidates.

Fatogun urged party members to prioritise reconciliation and grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election rather than internal disagreements.

“It signifies a new beginning for the APC. We are all united by the party. That’s APC. We are going nowhere,” he said.

He said the one-million-vote target could be achieved if APC members worked together to mobilise voters who did not participate in previous elections.

“We should stop fighting. We should look directly at our faces and say APC. If APC doesn’t do well, it’s our collective shame,” Fatogun said.

He added that Ondo should aim to surpass the one-million-vote target, citing the state’s representation in the federal cabinet as a factor he believed could strengthen its political mobilisation.