The PBAT Mandate Elders Forum in Ondo State on Wednesday urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to prioritise genuine reconciliation among major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying such unity was necessary to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu an easy electoral victory in the state in the 2027 election.
The Ondo APC elders said Aiyedatiwa’s appointment as Tinubu’s 2027 campaign coordinator in the state was an assignment to unite the party and bring its various tendencies together, not an opportunity to consolidate political supremacy.
Chairman of the Forum, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, stated this on Wednesday in Akure while addressing journalists on recent political developments within the APC and preparations for the 2027 elections.
Ijabiyi said the governor must take the lead in resolving the differences between his camp and other influential stakeholders, particularly the three ministers from the state, members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders, if the party genuinely wants to present a united front for Tinubu.
He said merely inviting stakeholders to meetings or recognising their positions without addressing the issues responsible for the divisions would amount to cosmetic reconciliation.
“If we want genuine reconciliation, the only way we can participate is when we see the governor, the ministers and National Assembly members hold a meeting in the Government House and have lunch together. The day we see that, then we will know reconciliation is genuine,” he said.
The APC chieftain said the responsibility for achieving such reconciliation rested largely with Aiyedatiwa as the leader of the party in the state.
According to him, the governor’s campaign coordination role should be measured by his ability to bring all tendencies within the APC together and mobilise them for Tinubu’s victory.
He warned that the appointment of Aiyedatiwa as the coordinator of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in the state should not be interpreted as a licence to dominate or subjugate other political stakeholders within the APC.
Ijabiyi congratulated Aiyedatiwa on his appointment as the President’s campaign coordinator, and expressed the Forum’s readiness to cooperate with every genuine effort aimed at securing an overwhelming victory for Tinubu in Ondo State.
He, however, drew a clear distinction between coordinating the President’s campaign and controlling the political structure of the state.
“Appointment as campaign coordinator is an assignment to unite; it is not a coronation to rule over other political stakeholders.
“The success of the governor’s assignment will ultimately be measured not by declarations of political supremacy, newspaper articles or social-media exchanges, but by the votes delivered to President Tinubu in 2027,” Ijabiyi said.
The Forum’s position followed recent efforts by the state APC leadership to engage stakeholders on the possibility of convening a meeting aimed at strengthening unity within the party.
Ijabiyi, however, insisted that such a meeting would only be meaningful if the major political differences were first confronted and resolved.
He also urged the governor to rein in aides and supporters whose public statements could further inflame tensions within the party, warning that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into personal attacks.
The Forum reaffirmed its support for Tunji-Ojo, describing the minister as an important political asset to President Tinubu and the APC in Ondo State.
Ijabiyi said the minister’s popularity should be deployed towards expanding the President’s support base rather than treated as a threat to the governor.
“The Governor’s constitutional authority does not diminish BTO’s political relevance, and BTO’s popularity does not diminish the Governor’s constitutional position.
“President Tinubu needs both men. More importantly, he needs everybody,” he said.
He stressed that the APC’s overriding assignment in 2027 was to secure Tinubu’s re-election and victory for the party’s candidates, not to determine which faction or individual controlled the party.
“There is no victory yet to celebrate. The campaign has not been fought. The election has not been held. The votes have not been counted,” he said.
Ijabiyi urged all stakeholders to subordinate personal ambitions and factional interests to the broader objective of retaining the Presidency for the APC.
“The governor has been given the responsibility to coordinate. Let him coordinate. The stakeholders have a responsibility to cooperate. Let us cooperate.
“Nobody’s ego will be on the ballot in 2027. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC candidates will be,” he added.
Follow the story
