… Vow to surpass 2023 election performance

Elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State chapter, under the aegis of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), have embarked on a reconciliation drive aimed at mending internal fractures and restoring harmony among party stakeholders in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.

The leaders made the resolve following a meeting of the GAC and other senior leaders held on Wednesday at the Government House in Akure, the state government.

The closed-door meeting, which lasted several hours, was the first gathering of the GAC since August 2026 with the move to address lingering grievances within the party, particularly since the last primaries of the party.

During the meeting, the leaders also unanimously affirmed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the party’s leader in the state and pledged their support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general election.

The GAC Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, said the party’s greatest strength remains its unity of purpose, noting that disagreements arising from political contests were normal in a democracy and had always been resolved through dialogue, mutual respect, selflessness and sacrifice.

The GAC chairman urged party leaders and government officials to work collectively ahead of the 2027 election to surpass Ondo’s performance in the 2023 presidential poll, where the state recorded the second-highest percentage of votes for President Tinubu nationwide.

He commended Aiyedatiwa’s administration and assured the governor of the council’s continued support, while urging members to shun division, bitterness and unnecessary rancour.

Former Ondo North Senatorial District representative, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, said the meeting resolved to support the governor and ensure that all party members recognise him as the APC leader in the state.

Boroffice described Aiyedatiwa as the institution representing the APC in Ondo State, adding that the leaders resolved to intensify efforts towards Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 and improve on the state’s performance in the last presidential election.

He disclosed that the leaders would engage the APC national leadership to reaffirm their solidarity and communicate the resolutions.

Also speaking, APC South-West Vice Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said the party leaders resolved that all support groups should operate under Aiyedatiwa’s leadership.

Kekemeke urged the national leadership of the party to involve all major stakeholders in decisions concerning the state.