• Party chieftain urges peace amid crisis
•2027: Rift deepens between Aiyedatiwa, Ondo NASS members amid replacement claims

Elders within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State chapter, yesterday, decried the crisis rocking the party in the state, stressing that the ward congresses held last week have created division among the leaders and members of the party.

The elders, under the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, while rejecting the congresses, accused the state leadership of sidelining party elders and fostering division within the party.

They said that the lingering disputes arising from the congresses could threaten the party’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The facilitator of the Forum in the state, Ademola Ijabiyi, who spoke after the monthly meeting of the group, disclosed that the elders had formally petitioned President Bola Tinubu over the conduct of the congresses.

Ijabiyi expressed the confidence that the intervention of Tinubu would prevent a permanent split within the party, stressing that any development capable of undermining Tinubu’s victory in 2027 must be addressed.

Relatedly, a chieftain of the APC, Oluwaseun Ajongbolo, has called for peace among the party’s stakeholders in Ondo State following the violence recorded during the recent ward congresses in the state.

In a statement yesterday, he urged leaders and members across factions to sheathe their swords and embrace genuine reconciliation.

Ajongbolo warned that prolonged infighting could weaken the ruling party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general elections and President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

According to him, political unrest within a ruling party sends dangerous signals, not only to the party’s loyalists but also to investors monitoring the state’s political activities.

He, therefore, urged party faithful to place collective interest above personal ambition, stressing that dialogue and genuine commitment to peace remain the only sustainable path forward.

Meanwhile, the cold war between Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and APC members representing the state in the National Assembly has reportedly deepened ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A top party source in Akure alleged that the governor had vowed that none of the nine House of Representatives members and two senators from the state would secure return tickets.

According to the source, Aiyedatiwa had allegedly reported the lawmakers to Bola Tinubu, citing their purported unpopularity and weak grassroots connection, and sought the President’s understanding to scout for replacements.

Another party leader has dismissed the claims, stating that the governor has not endorsed or approved any aspirant for the party’s ticket.

The governor was said to have clarified at a stakeholders’ meeting that he would not stop any lawmaker from seeking re-election, warning against rumours capable of causing division within the party.

However, the lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, Donald Ojogo, has denied knowledge of such claims.

He described the reports as misinformation aimed at creating a rift between the governor and the federal lawmakers.