Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has declared that Ondo State politics will not be dictated by coalitions, insisting the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains the sole rallying force for progress in the state.
Speaking on Monday, August 11, 2025, at Akure City Hall while receiving Hon. Dayo Awude, the Labour Party’s former deputy governorship candidate, and leaders from PDP, SDP and ADC into the APC, the Governor said:
“In Ondo State, there is no room for coalition, it is one APC. People join political parties for different reasons, but the interest of the party must always supersede every other interest, and for us in the APC, that interest is to retain power.”
Aiyedatiwa praised the defectors, who crossed over under the platform of the Sunshine Grassroots Network, for what he called a “wise decision” to align with the APC ahead of the 2027 polls.
He linked the party’s confidence to “the evidence of good governance” under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his own administration, adding that the latest wave of defections would “deliver greater numbers” for the ruling party.
Awude said he joined the APC to “add value” and support both President Tinubu and Governor Aiyedatiwa’s developmental agenda. Former SDP scribe, Dele Ogunbameru, also defected, saying the APC offers a stable platform to make meaningful contributions.
Ondo APC Chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, urged the newcomers to strengthen the party from the grassroots, stressing that “any politician who cannot deliver his unit and ward is not a politician.”
Top government officials and APC chieftains attended the event, including the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti, and Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa.
