2027: Confusion in Ondo as Tinubu men defy Aiyedatiwa on collapsing support groups

By Dayo Johnson, Akure & Nnamdi Ojiego

Confusion is brewing within the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as tensions rise between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and key supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the governor’s controversial move to collapse all pro-Tinubu support groups into a single structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Over the weekend, Aiyedatiwa convened an emergency meeting of the APC State Leaders’ Caucus at the Government House in Akure, where he unveiled a unified campaign platform, Ondo State for Tinubu 2027, which he declared as the sole umbrella body for all support groups canvassing for Tinubu’s re-election.

According to the governor, the move was aimed at strengthening the party’s internal cohesion and eliminating parallel political structures.

However, the directive has sparked backlash from several grassroots Tinubu loyalists, who see the development as a power grab by the governor to consolidate control over party machinery ahead of the 2028 governorship race.

Aiyedatiwa’s inner circle is reportedly wary of the rising influence of independent Tinubu-aligned groups like the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT), Asiwaju Mandate Group, and PBAT Continuity Project, suspecting rival politicians could leverage them to challenge his authority post-2027.

Party insiders revealed that the governor’s decision was a strategic move to “clip the wings” of these groups. “It was a coup,” said one aide, who confirmed that the invitation to the meeting was personally signed by the governor, a signal of the urgency and personal stake in the issue.

But resistance came swiftly. In a statement signed by Ilesanmi Adeyeye, Coordinator of Conscious Ondo State Citizens, a coalition of Tinubu supporters, the group condemned the governor’s directive as “tone deaf” and “fundamentally flawed.”

They accused Aiyedatiwa of hypocrisy, pointing out that he had himself relied on numerous support groups such as LACO FS, Lucky Disciples, and O Datiwa Group during his own campaign.

The group also took issue with what it described as a “reckless and divisive” statement by the governor, allegedly targeting members of the GMT, implying that being raised in a place does not entitle one to political belonging. They demanded an apology and called on the national and zonal leadership of the APC to intervene and prevent what they see as a brewing intra-party crisis.

“The support groups are not the problem. They are the strength of our democratic outreach,” Adeyeye stated. “We stand for inclusion. We stand for principle. We stand with Tinubu.”

Despite the criticism, Aiyedatiwa remains resolute. Addressing party leaders, he called for unity and declared that all political activities in the state must now be channelled through the central party structure under the new platform. “There’s no governorship election here in 2027,” he noted. “Our task is singular: deliver an overwhelming victory for President Tinubu.”

At the meeting, top party figures across the state, including senators, current and former legislators, and party chieftains, unanimously endorsed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Meanwhile, Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti and Mrs. Roseline Okafor were appointed to coordinate the new platform’s secretariat.

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