Tinubu Draws The Line In Ondo: No Governorship Election In January, Aiyedatiwa Is Campaign Boss

……. President declares Governor sole campaign coordinator, directs all political leaders, including Abuja power brokers, to work with him

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a decisive political message to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, declaring Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as the sole coordinator of his presidential re-election campaign in the state and directing all political stakeholders to recognise and work under his leadership.

The President’s position, conveyed by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, at Wednesday’s APC presidential campaign rally in Akure, is being viewed as a major political clarification that should put an end to the needless controversy, competing power centres and alleged attempts by certain political interests, particularly in Abuja, to undermine the authority of the Ondo State Governor.

Delivering the President’s message, Bamidele reminded party leaders that the January 16, 2027 election was not a governorship election but a presidential and National Assembly election, stressing that the contest was fundamentally about securing President Tinubu’s return to office.

He said the President had specifically instructed him to deliver two important messages, the first being that all APC leaders and stakeholders must close ranks and work together for his re-election.

More significantly, he declared that Governor Aiyedatiwa was the only recognised state coordinator of the presidential campaign.

According to Bamidele, there was no ambiguity about the President’s position: the Governor is the state campaign coordinator, and every political leader, regardless of status, influence or political affiliation, must work with him.

The declaration is particularly significant against the backdrop of reported disagreements and political manoeuvring among some APC stakeholders, including interests allegedly operating from Abuja, which have created the impression that the Governor’s leadership could be challenged or circumvented in the build-up to the presidential election.

With the President’s position now publicly communicated, such political manoeuvres should be considered settled.

There can no longer be competing interpretations of who is in charge of the presidential campaign machinery in Ondo State. The President has spoken, and his directive is unambiguous.

However, the President’s message also carried an important responsibility for Governor Aiyedatiwa. Bamidele disclosed that the Governor had equally been instructed to open his doors to all party leaders and stakeholders, irrespective of their previous political differences, and provide everyone with the opportunity to contribute to the campaign.

This clearly establishes a two-way responsibility: all political actors must respect the Governor’s coordinating authority, while the Governor must ensure inclusiveness and collective participation.

The rally, attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, ministers, former governors, National Assembly members and other prominent party leaders, provided a significant platform for the President to reaffirm the political leadership structure in Ondo State.

Governor Aiyedatiwa, in his address, pledged that Ondo State would deliver at least one million votes for President Tinubu, while the President, through Vice-President Shettima, challenged the state to target 1.2 million votes.

The President’s intervention has therefore raised the stakes for all political stakeholders. Rather than dissipating energy on unnecessary supremacy battles, the APC leadership in Ondo State must now concentrate on mobilising voters, strengthening its grassroots structures and delivering victory for the President.

For political actors who may have entertained the belief that the Governor’s authority could be weakened through external political arrangements or parallel campaign structures, Wednesday’s declaration represents a clear message from the highest political authority in the country.

The message from the President is simple; Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is the man in charge of the presidential campaign in Ondo State. Everyone must work with him.

The time for political distractions, parallel structures and needless supremacy contests is over. The task before the APC is unity, mobilisation and victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in January 2027.