Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to close ranks and work together ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Aiyedatiwa made the call on Monday at the APC Elders Council meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Akure, where he directed the activation of the council across the state’s 18 local government areas.
The governor also called on party members to support APC candidates contesting national and state legislative elections, stressing that the success of his administration and the party’s electoral prospects were closely connected.
He said the APC must remain united, particularly in the face of attempts by some members to establish a separate faction of the party’s Elders Council.
“APC is one. There are no two APCs in Ondo State. APC is one, All Progressives Congress,” Aiyedatiwa said.
He appealed to those involved in the factional disagreement to return to the fold, insisting that nobody should be excluded from the party.
“We don’t want to leave anybody out. Even those who are trying to create another faction, we are talking to them that the APC must remain one,” he added.
The governor said the development of Ondo State could not be achieved by his administration alone, stressing the need for the collective support of party elders, women, youths and other members.
“The development of this state rests on my shoulders as an elected governor; I cannot accomplish it alone. I need the support of everyone: the elders, the women, the youth, everyone,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa further described the APC as the political vehicle through which its members could pursue elective offices, noting that the primary interest of any political party was to secure or retain political power.
He therefore urged members to cooperate with the state chairman and reactivate party structures across the state.
The governor said the contributions of party elders remained important to the success of his administration and directed that the Elders Council be established across the 18 local government areas.
Speaking at the meeting, APC State Chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, said the experience of party elders was indispensable to the growth and stability of the APC.
Babatunde noted that the current State Working Committee was relatively young compared with members who had contributed to the development of the party from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Congress and eventually to the APC.
He said the APC constitution recognised the Elders Council as an integral part of the party structure, with responsibilities including maintaining stability, providing counsel, initiating policies, regulating proceedings and formulating a code of conduct.
According to him, the party would make greater progress by incorporating the experience and contributions of its elders into its activities.
Babatunde also said the achievements recorded by the Aiyedatiwa administration in infrastructure, healthcare, security and water supply would provide the APC with issues to campaign on ahead of the elections.
Earlier, the Chairman of the APC Elders Council, Nimbe Farukanmi, appealed to members to maintain unity and support Governor Aiyedatiwa and President Bola Tinubu.
Farukanmi described the meeting as an opportunity for party leaders and members from Ondo State’s three senatorial districts to reconnect and discuss issues affecting the progress of the state.
The octogenarian urged party members to avoid misunderstandings and work together, describing Aiyedatiwa as an open-minded leader who had reached out to him on matters concerning cooperation among party leaders.
