2027: Tinubu Targets One Million Votes From Ondo, Directs APC Leaders To Unite

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State to unite behind his administration and work towards securing his re-election in 2027, setting a target of one million votes from the state.

Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the appeal on Wednesday during the APC presidential campaign rally at the Akure Township Stadium in Ondo State.

The President, who recalled the reception his campaign had received in other states, urged Ondo residents to support his administration, saying the state had a role to play in his re-election bid.

He also questioned the political support enjoyed by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress  (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, in his home state of Adamawa, claiming that none of the state’s five former governors was politically aligned with him.

“Atiku Abubakar is from Adamawa State. Of all the five governors that have ruled Adamawa State, none of them is in alignment with Atiku. All the political power and actors in Adamawa State are not in alignment with Atiku,” he said.

Tinubu also criticised the performance of the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as governor of Anambra State, describing his performance as zero.

The President’s appeal was reinforced by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who assured him of Ondo State’s support, recalling that the state recorded the highest percentage of votes for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

Aiyedatiwa said the President had not disappointed the people of the state, citing his administration’s economic reforms and other interventions since assuming office in 2023.

He also acknowledged the appointment of three ministers from Ondo State, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of Youth and the Minister of Interior.

According to the governor, the benefits of the Federal Government’s reforms had reached the grassroots, enabling his administration to pursue development projects across the state.

Aiyedatiwa pledged that Ondo State would deliver at least one million votes for Tinubu in 2027, adding that APC members would return to their respective local governments, wards and units to mobilise support for the President.

Also speaking, the Deputy Director-General, South-West 1, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, conveyed Tinubu’s directive to party leaders to close ranks and work together ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Bamidele said the President had emphasised the need for unity, noting that the party could not afford divisions as it prepared for the elections.

He said Tinubu had specifically directed that Aiyedatiwa, as the state campaign coordinator, should be recognised by all party leaders, while also urging the governor to make himself accessible to all stakeholders.

Bamidele called on prominent APC leaders across the southern, central and northern senatorial districts to take active roles in the campaign, stressing that no group should be sidelined.

He also disclosed that former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, had been brought back into the progressive fold and would play a central role in the campaign.