… Extends hand of fellowship, calls for unity

… Hails Tinubu, Yilwatda’s leadership, Tunji-Ojo’s diplomacy

 

The Senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District, Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN, has described his emergence as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the district ahead of the 2027 poll as vindication of his conviction for due process.

 

The National Working Committee of the APC had affirmed Adegbonmire as the party’s candidate for the Ondo Central Senatorial District in the 2027 general election, following a review of appeal committee reports that overturned several primary election outcomes across the state.

 

The NWC’s decision, communicated in a letter dated June 29, 2026, to the Independent National Electoral Commission, followed the consideration of appeals filed by aggrieved aspirants after the earlier primaries.

 

The letter was signed by APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru, stating that the reviewed list represented the party’s final position in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.

 

In a statement he personally issued on Tuesday, Adegbonmire, a serving senator and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said he approached the moment not with triumphalism but with the same sense of duty that had guided his years at the bar and in public service.

 

Hw said, “To the good people of Ondo Central, this outcome is yours before it is mine. You stood firm through a season of uncertainty, and your patience has been rewarded with clarity.

 

“I want you to know that I see this not as a personal vindication alone, but as confirmation that the structures of our party, however imperfect at times, can still arrive at the right conclusion when integrity is allowed to guide the process.”

 

The senator appreciated President Bola Tinubu for steering the party and creating an environment where internal disputes could be resolved through legitimate mechanisms rather than discord.

 

He also thanked the National Chairman of APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the NWC for the thoroughness of the review, as well as the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, over what he described as his diplomacy and commitment to peace within the party in Ondo State.

 

Adegbonmire extended an open hand to those who contested the race with him, describing a primary contest as a test of ideas and capacity rather than a declaration of enmity.

 

According to him, he held no grudge against any person who stood on the other side of the process and would not tolerate such grudges among his supporters.

 

“The work ahead is far greater than any single contest. Ondo Central deserves a senator who will translate legal clarity into legislative impact, who understands both the letter of the law and the lived realities of our people. That is the standard I set for myself, and that is the standard by which I invite you to hold me accountable.”