Ondo APC elders urge unity between Aiyedatiwa and Tunji-Ojo camps

The Ondo APC Elders Forum has called on supporters of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to avoid actions that could deepen divisions in the party ahead of the 2027 general election. The forum’s chairman, Demola Ijabiyi, made the appeal on Wednesday in Akure during the group’s monthly meeting. He acknowledged perceptions of tension between the governor and the minister but said both leaders shared the objective of securing votes for President Bola Tinubu.

Ijabiyi described Aiyedatiwa as the leader of the APC in Ondo State, with responsibility for uniting and mobilising members across the state’s 18 local government areas. He said Tunji-Ojo, as a member of the Federal Executive Council and a prominent political figure, also had substantial support. The elders’ chairman said the two political bases should complement rather than compete with each other.

He argued that separate structures did not necessarily mean the party was divided, pointing to the separate campaign structures used during Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign. Ijabiyi nevertheless warned against unhealthy rivalry and the use of one platform to undermine another. He asked supporters of both leaders to avoid statements or conduct that could create an impression of open conflict between them.

“Genuine support for one leader must not be expressed through hostility towards the other,” he said, according to the supplied material. The forum said it would not take sides in any contest between the governor and minister. Ijabiyi said its priority was cooperation among APC leaders and tendencies in Ondo State, with loyalty directed towards Tinubu’s re-election.

He urged the two camps to remain focused on the party’s broader objective and said the elders would continue encouraging cooperation. The appeal comes as political attention turns towards the 2027 election and the task of maintaining unity within the state chapter.