Elders of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State have rejected a coalition arrangement with other political parties to support President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had formed a Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party platform aimed at supporting Tinubu's 2027 re-election. However, the APC elders, operating under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mandate Elders Forum, say the party is firmly established in Ondo and capable of delivering the targeted one million-plus votes for the President.
The Chairman of the elders' group, Dr Demola Ijabiyi, said at a meeting in Akure, Ondo State, that such an arrangement was unnecessary in the state. Ijabiyi stated that the APC is the dominant political party in Ondo, controlling government at both the state and local government levels. He therefore sees no justification for any coalition arrangement that requires the party to sacrifice its candidates or surrender constituencies in exchange for support for President Tinubu.
Ijabiyi urged other political parties to endorse and support the President's re-election, saying the party's doors are open to all who share its conviction that Tinubu's administration should consolidate its reforms and development agenda. However, he emphasized that support for the President need not depend on displacing APC candidates. The elders' chairman expressed confidence in the party's candidates and their prospects of victory.
The APC elders' chairman also urged the party's National Assembly and state assembly candidates to actively participate in the ongoing mobilisation campaign ahead of the elections. He said they must add the full weight of their personal campaigns to this collective effort, reaching the polling units and working with local leaders to address gaps in mobilisation.
Ijabiyi appealed to women and youths in the party to begin door-to-door campaigns to help the President secure more than the targeted one million votes in the state. He said women and young people are central to the party's communities and to any successful mobilisation effort, with their networks reaching into homes, markets, workplaces, schools, and neighbourhoods across the state.
The former lawmaker urged party leaders at the local government and ward levels to fully involve women and youths in taking the party's message to every community. He emphasized that their message must be persuasive and grounded in the President's record and the opportunities his administration seeks to create.
The rejection of the Rainbow Coalition by the Ondo APC elders is a significant development in the lead-up to the 2027 elections. The party's ability to secure victory for President Tinubu in the state without a coalition arrangement will be closely watched. The elders' emphasis on the party's strength and the importance of women and youths in the mobilisation effort suggests a confident approach to the upcoming elections.
Key points
- APC elders in Ondo State reject coalition arrangement for 2027 elections
- Party is confident in its ability to secure victory for President Tinubu
- Women and youths urged to play a key role in mobilisation efforts
