By Adewale Adewinle THERE is a point at which political disagreement ceases to be an ordinary feature of internal party competition and becomes a threat to the survival of the party itself. That point appears to have been reached in Ondo State, where disturbing questions are being raised about the alleged conduct of some members […] The post Party structure and crisis of loyalty in Ondo APC appeared first on Tribune Online .
By Adewale Adewinle
THERE is a point at which political disagreement ceases to be an ordinary feature of internal party competition and becomes a threat to the survival of the party itself. That point appears to have been reached in Ondo State, where disturbing questions are being raised about the alleged conduct of some members of the APC State Working Committee and political appointees of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa The fundamental question is simple: Can a political party win an election when those entrusted with managing its structure are allegedly working against its own candidate? The issue becomes even more troubling when those involved occupy sensitive positions within the party structure or government. The APC is not merely a platform for winning elections; it is an organisation governed by rules, structures, and obligations. Once a candidate emerges through the party’s recognised process, the responsibility of party leaders should be to mobilise support for that candidate—not quietly undermine him.
This is why the situation surrounding an opposition candidate deserves serious scrutiny. That candidate’s political journey has already demonstrated the unpredictability of internal party politics. He contested for the Ondo South Senatorial ticket in 2023 and lost. In 2026, he sought the House of Representatives ticket for the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency he also lost. Against this background, allegations that individuals within the APC state structure are mobilising politically for this same individual to contest for the Ondo South Senatorial ticket require more than casual dismissal. If a state party officer is indeed coordinating political activities for an aspirant or candidate in a manner that conflicts with the party’s official position, then the question is not merely about personal loyalty. It is about institutional discipline. The reported involvement of the SWC of the APC is particularly significant. If, as alleged, they are coordinating political activities for an opposition candidate and the party is aware of such activities, then the APC leadership owes its members an explanation.
A party can not publicly demand loyalty from its members while tolerating contradictory political operations within its own leadership structure. It cannot ask ordinary members to support their candidates while some of the people responsible for coordinating the party allegedly work toward a different political objective. That is the definition of organisational incoherence. Governor Aiyedatiwa occupies an even more important position in this matter. Recent reporting following the National Assembly primaries stated that APC leaders in Ondo State reaffirmed him as the leader of the party and pledged to strengthen reconciliation and party cohesion. Leadership, however, is not simply a title. It carries responsibility. If some aides of the governor are perceived to be working against an APC candidate, the governor cannot reasonably wash his hands of the matter. The same applies if members of the SWC are allegedly deploying their positions and influence in favour of interests that conflict with the party’s candidates.
The governor must, therefore, answer the larger question: Is the APC in Ondo State one political organisation with one chain of command, or has it become a collection of competing political camps operating under the same umbrella? An opposition party does not need to defeat a ruling party when the ruling party is capable of defeating itself. The APC’s greatest challenge in Ondo State may, therefore, not come from the PDP or any other opposition party. It may come from internal contradictions, mutual suspicion, factional interests, and the perception that party structures can be deployed selectively for individual political ambitions. This is particularly dangerous as the 2027 elections approach. Aiyedatiwa cannot simultaneously demand that APC members support the party and permit the impression that members of his administration or the party’s leadership structure are free to pursue parallel political agendas against APC candidates. The governor has a political obligation to protect the credibility of the party he leads. The State Chairman, Kolawole Gabriel, also has an institutional obligation. If he is aware that a member of the State Working Committee is openly or covertly working against an APC candidate, silence becomes difficult to defend. Party leadership requires enforcement of rules, not merely attendance at meetings.
And members of the State Working Committee must understand that their offices are not personal political franchises. They belong to the party. The same principle applies to political appointees. Government appointments should not become instruments for pursuing private political vendettas or undermining candidates who emerged from the party’s electoral process. There is nothing wrong with political ambition. There is nothing inherently wrong with having preferred candidates. Politics has always involved competition, alliances, and strategic interests. But there is a fundamental difference between supporting an aspirant during a contest and working against the candidate after the party’s decision has been made. That distinction must be respected.
The APC cannot preach internal democracy to Nigerians while practising internal indiscipline within its own ranks. The party cannot demand that voters remain loyal to their candidates while their own leaders allegedly send conflicting signals to the electorate. Governor Aiyedatiwa cannot afford to be perceived as a passive observer of these contradictions. If he is truly the leader of the APC in Ondo State, he must insist that every member of his administration and every officer of the party respects the party’s candidates and its official structures. The solution is not witch-hunting. It is transparency.
Let the party clarify its position. Let the SWC make its position known. Let the governor make it clear whether his administration supports the official candidates of the APC and expects his appointees to do the same. If the allegations are false, those accused should be given the opportunity to establish that publicly. If they are true, the party should have the courage to address them. What Ondo APC cannot afford is ambiguity. When a party’s own machinery begins to work against its candidates, the problem is no longer merely about one candidate, one primary, or one election. It is about whether the party still has the institutional discipline required to govern, compete, and win.
A party can not ask its members to fly its flag while some of its own leaders are allegedly pulling the flag down. That contradiction must end.
•Adewale is a stakeholder of APC in Okitipupa local government
