Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s recent move to unify political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection bid under a single structure—Ondo State for Tinubu 2027—has shifted the political atmosphere within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State.
At the heart of the matter is a constitutional caucus meeting held on Friday, August 1, 2025, where the Governor hosted key leaders and stakeholders of the party.
The event culminated in a unanimous endorsement of President Tinubu’s second-term bid and the unveiling of a central campaign platform, which the Governor said would serve as the umbrella body for all pro-Tinubu support groups in the state.
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s rationale is straightforward: unity is strength. With no upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo before 2027, he argues, it is both practical and strategic to harmonize all campaign efforts under one coordinated structure. Proponents of the initiative say this is in line with the APC Constitution, which designates the sitting governor as party leader at the state level. They point to the National Caucus model and describe the state version as an effort to replicate its success and foster cohesion at the grassroots.
However, not all party stakeholders are buying this narrative.
The Conscious Ondo State Citizens, a Tinubu-aligned support group, has strongly rejected the move, describing it as “tone-deaf” and a veiled attempt to sideline loyalists of the President.
The group accuses the Governor of hypocrisy, pointing out that his own electoral success in the last gubernatorial race was made possible through the efforts of diverse support groups now being pressured to fall in line.
At the core of this tension is a broader debate: should party loyalty and campaign alignment mean subsuming independent political structures into a central system, even when those structures have proven effective at mobilizing voters?
Aiyedatiwa’s media team insists that no support group is being proscribed or dissolved. Instead, they say the Governor is calling for better synergy and coordination within the party, to avoid factionalism and disunity. They argue that unaligned campaign efforts could cause confusion, internal rivalry, or even sabotage the broader goal of a decisive win for the APC in 2027.
Still, the optics of a top-down directive—especially one perceived to marginalize longstanding grassroots actors—are politically sensitive. The Governor’s leadership, while constitutionally recognized, must also balance inclusion with authority. That means fostering buy-in from diverse stakeholders, not imposing structure without consensus.
Political history has shown that uncoordinated support groups can sometimes undermine the very candidates they claim to serve. But it has also shown that heavy-handed attempts at central control often alienate the grassroots and fracture party unity. The challenge is finding the right balance.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the APC in Ondo State must navigate these internal tensions with care. Unity must not come at the expense of mutual respect and shared purpose. The strength of any political party lies not just in the dominance of its leadership, but in the depth of its internal democracy.
If Governor Aiyedatiwa is truly committed to unity, his next steps must include honest dialogue with dissenting groups, open channels for collaboration, and a political structure that reflects both leadership and inclusiveness.
The path to 2027 should be paved with trust—not just directives.
