Elders within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State chapter, yesterday, cautioned Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa against imposing standard-bearers for the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that unpopular candidates may be unable to secure victory for the party at the polls.

The elders, under the aegis of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, said that they were not consulted by the governor in the scheme of things regarding the emergence of candidates.

They, however, raised concerns about a potential disconnect between the state leadership and grassroots party structures, stating that a smart and intelligent governor must consult widely and feel the pulse of stakeholders in various constituencies.

The forum’s state facilitator, Ademola Ijabiyi, who spoke after the group’s monthly meeting in Akure, noted that the elders had only heard reports that the governor may have made some selections, but no official list has been released.

Ijabiyi also said that the forum had endorsed President Bola Tinubu as the consensus candidate, stating that the President has distinguished himself through what he described as extraordinary performance in office.

The elders dismissed opposition’s concerns about a potential one-party state as mischief.

They also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, whom they described as a worthy son of the state whose performance has earned national recognition.

Meanwhile, the forum disclosed that over 3,000 elders across the state have benefited from the forum’s expanding healthcare initiatives, stressing that the group initiated basic health screenings after noticing that some elderly members were unable to attend meetings due to medical conditions.

However, a legal practitioner and member of the forum, Shola Ajisafe, advised the state government and APC leadership to ensure proper positioning of candidates ahead of primaries and the main elections.

‘A smart and intelligent governor will do just one basic thing: consult widely.

“But when you decide not to consult people, you just feel that you are the only law. It brings a lot of dissent, disenchantment, dissent and all the rest. And we don’t need it in our state,” the elders stated.