Ondo APC disowns ex-commissioner over Tinubu defeat claim

Abimbola Joseph

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has distanced itself from comments by a former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Rasaq Obe, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu could lose the state in the 2027 presidential election.

The party described the remarks as Obe’s personal opinion, insisting they do not reflect the position of the APC, the Ondo State Government or the people of the state.

Speaking at a news conference in Akure, the state APC Chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, said every party member was entitled to express personal views but stressed that such opinions should not be mistaken for the party’s official stance.

According to him, the former commissioner, who unsuccessfully sought the APC ticket for the Ifedore/Idanre Federal Constituency, spoke only for himself after losing the primary election to the incumbent lawmaker, Festus Akingbaso.

Babatunde dismissed suggestions that the disagreements arising from the party’s recent primaries could threaten its unity, describing such disputes as common in democratic politics.

He said the party had already activated its internal conflict-resolution mechanisms, noting that a review committee had examined the outcome of the primaries and submitted its report to the national leadership for necessary action.

Reflecting on his own political experience, Babatunde said he had previously lost a bid to return to the House of Representatives after serving one term but accepted the party’s decision.

He announced that the APC had constituted a reconciliation committee to engage aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders with the aim of restoring unity ahead of future elections.

The committee is chaired by the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye.

Babatunde said political disagreements were inevitable after a busy electoral calendar involving congresses, conventions, by-elections and legislative primaries, but expressed confidence that the party would emerge stronger.

He also dismissed concerns that the absence of a formidable opposition in the state could weaken democracy, attributing the APC’s dominance to the policies of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s development programmes.

The chairman disclosed that the party had registered about 84 support groups across the state and was working towards delivering at least one million votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

He added that the support groups would operate within the party’s structure as grassroots mobilisation intensifies ahead of the official campaign period.