2027: Ondo APC disowns Ex-commissioner over claim Tinubu may lose state

—-Sets up reconciliation committee after primary disputes

By Dayo Johnson Akure

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State has disowned former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Rasaq Obe, over his outburst that President Bola Tinubu may lose the 2027 presidential election in the state following the party’s decision to drop some aspirants backed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Obe was an aspirant for the Ifedore/Idanre Federal Constituency. He lost the party’s ticket to the incumbent, Festus Akingbaso.

Speaking during a parley with newsmen at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Akure, State Chairman, Hon Kolawole Babatunde, said the former commissioner was speaking for himself and could not speak for the party or the people of the state.

He said that “Every aspirant has the constitutional right to express personal opinions but such views did not represent the position of the party,” Babatunde said.

“Those who did not win have every right to express their opinions. Razaq Obe is entitled to his opinion. He did not speak on behalf of the party, the government or the leadership. He spoke as an individual,” he said.

Babatunde maintained that the disagreements were not strong enough to divide the party in Ondo State.

“For me, these are normal political issues. They are not strong enough to divide us as a party. The normal process is that we will have primaries. After the primaries, there will be various steps that will be taken by the party and by the national leadership. Those steps have been taken,” he said.

He declared that the party leadership had the right to take further steps as entrenched in the constitution.

The chairman noted that a review committee was set up to look into the outcome of the primaries and had reported back to national leaders, and decisions had been taken.

“I contested in an election for the House of Representatives. It was not a direct primary; it was an indirect process. I served for four years.

” I wanted to return for another term, but I was denied. The leadership took its decision, and I had no choice but to abide by that decision. That’s the way it works.

On the way forward, the chairman said a reconciliation committee had been set up to address grievances arising from the party’s recent primary election and restore unity among members.

He said the committee, headed by the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Prince Biyi Poroye, had been mandated to engage aggrieved aspirants and party stakeholders with a view to resolving the crisis and strengthening internal cohesion.

“There is no way we will go through political activities without issues. There will be political bickering, there will be arguments, but one thing that is good about our party is that we have internal mechanisms for resolving disagreements,” he said.

Babatunde said the party had gone through a hectic political calendar, including congresses, zonal and national conventions, by-elections, as well as State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate primaries, making disagreements inevitable.

He also dismissed claims that the absence of a strong opposition in the state posed a threat to democracy, arguing that the APC’s growing popularity was driven by the achievements of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Aiyedatiwa’s “OUR EASE” agenda.

He said the party had registered about 84 support groups across the state and was targeting a minimum of one million votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

According to him, the support groups would be properly coordinated through the party structure while mobilisation efforts would continue at the grassroots ahead of the official commencement of campaigns.

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