…says Ondo will outshine Osun in electoral score

• Yari sets 100-day grassroots mobilisation drive

Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has pledged at least one million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, charging party stakeholders to intensify mobilisation for his re-election.

Aiyedatiwa gave the charge on Sunday at the palace of the Ooni of Ife in Ile-Ife, where he joined the delegation of the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Council.

The governor said state governors had been assigned coordinating responsibilities for the re-election campaign in their respective states, adding that he would lead the campaign in Ondo.

“I am now the coordinator of my state for Asiwaju, the chairman for the campaign council for Ondo State. My job, my responsibility is to deliver Ondo State for Asiwaju 2027,” he said.

He expressed confidence that Ondo would record a better electoral performance than Osun in the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

According to him, an executive order had been issued some months ago declaring a target of one million votes for Tinubu.

He said the outcome of the just-concluded governorship election in Osun put the total figure at about 900,000 votes, while Ondo had already declared one million votes for the president.

Aiyedatiwa called on APC members and stakeholders to intensify grassroots mobilisation across the state, saying that if Osun wanted to surpass Ondo’s target votes, there was a need for improved electoral performance in view of the party’s previous results.

He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to delivering democratic dividends to the people.

In his remarks, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, urged party stakeholders to commit themselves to an intensive grassroots mobilisation drive to secure Tinubu’s re-election.

Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, said political continuity was essential to sustaining the administration’s momentum and avoiding setbacks.

He explained that the party leadership had prioritised visits to traditional rulers to seek their spiritual support and blessings before commencing full-scale campaign operations.

The campaign director-general said council members had pledged to devote the next 90 to 100 days exclusively to grassroots mobilisation and efforts to secure a resounding mandate for Tinubu.

On Osun State’s electoral prospects, Yari engaged party leaders on the state’s voting targets, noting that it had an estimated 2.1 to 2.2 million registered voters. He expressed optimism that Osun would deliver a formidable share of votes, by the grace of God.

Acknowledging the prevailing economic hardships, the campaign leadership maintained that Nigerians should support Tinubu to enable him to complete critical infrastructure projects and economic reforms initiated for the country’s future.

Yari thanked the governors, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youths and business leaders who attended the gathering in large numbers, including the representative of the Osun State governor.

He said their presence demonstrated their commitment to the continuation of the APC administration beyond 2027.

In his welcome address, the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, urged party members, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to unite behind the campaign to secure victory for Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in his remarks, commended traditional rulers, stakeholders and community leaders for supporting Tinubu’s administration.

The monarch expressed confidence in South-West unity, saying development work had commenced in the region. He stressed the importance of cooperation between the South-West and North-West and urged traditional rulers to promote political continuity and effective governance.