Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State convened the inaugural session of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) over the weekend at Government House, Akure, in a closed-door meeting aimed at reinforcing coordination between his administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The Guardian gathered that the primary mandate of the selected leaders of APC will be to provide counsel and support to Aiyedatiwa on critical matters of state governance and the growth of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The council will be chaired by the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of NNPC Limited and former National Vice Chairman of the APC, Chief Pius Akinyelure, while the National Vice Chairman (South West) of the party and former Secretary to the State Government, Isaac Kekemeke, will serve as the Secretary.
The GAC meeting came barely a week after the governor hosted the party’s Caucus meeting and ahead of the general stakeholders meeting of the party.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the GAC chairman, Akinyelure, described the parley as fruitful, noting that it focused on strengthening ties between the government and the party.
“Ours is to bridge the gap, to make sure that the party grows and the government is successful. Whatever is going on in government is exposed to the party so that there can be a smooth relationship. I am not only satisfied, I am encouraged by the participation of our members,” Akinyelure said.
On his part, former APC National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Pastor Bankole Oluwajana, stated that “One very commendable thing is the governor’s receptive attitude, accommodating everyone, regardless of past views before he became governor. There’s no room for disunity. The governor is for all of us. He’s the leader of the party in the state, and we acknowledge that leadership.”
While former Senator Prof. Ajayi Boroffice explained that the council plays a key advisory role to the governor on policies and party unity, Jamiu Ekungba and Awodeyi Apata commended the governor for convening the GAC meeting, stressing that it would strengthen the party in the state ahead of the next general elections.
On the outcome of the meeting, the GAC Secretary, Kekemeke, said the meeting was aimed at stabilising the government and party in the state.
“Basically, it’s meant to stabilise government and the party. The governor has been availed of the experience of many people, and we have resolved a number of issues. We restated the obvious fact that the governor is the leader of the party in the state.
“We also agreed that support groups, particularly presidential support groups, can continue to exist but cannot serve as alternatives to the party or be used to divide it. Support groups are meant to support the party and the presidential aspiration of our national leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We were satisfied with the governor’s performance and advised him on wider consultations with stakeholders. We concluded that our party is one, with no factions, and advised on collegiate leadership at the local government level for more inclusive decision-making,” Kekemeke said.
