2027: No coalition needed in Ondo, APC elders declare

Target one million votes for Tinubu, 80% turnout By Dayo Johnson, Akure The PBAT Mandate Elders Forum (PMF), Ondo State chapter, has declared that there is no need for a coalition arrangement in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is strong enough to win all elective positions. The Forum also set a target of at least one million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, alongside an 80 per cent voter turnout in the state.

The position was made known at a meeting of the Forum in Akure, the state capital, where its chairman, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, said the APC’s dominance in the state made any arrangement requiring it to surrender candidates or constituencies unnecessary. Ijabiyi said the Forum recognised the importance of cooperation among political parties with shared political objectives but maintained that such arrangements must reflect the political realities of individual states.

“In Ondo State, the APC is the dominant political party, controlling government at both the state and local government levels,” he said. He said the Forum welcomed support from other political parties for Tinubu’s re-election but would not accept any arrangement that required APC candidates to step down. “Support for the President need not depend on displacing APC candidates.

We have confidence in our candidates and their prospects of victory,” he said. According to him, coalition arrangements are more appropriate in states where political parties have limited electoral strength and need to combine forces to overcome their weaknesses. He explained that parties could support stronger candidates in constituencies where they lacked sufficient electoral strength in exchange for reciprocal support elsewhere.

“But we don’t have that kind of circumstance in Ondo State. There is no constituency that we cannot win. There is no constituency that we do not want to contest. We are going to win all. That is the bottom line,” he said. The Forum chairman also cited the declining political strength of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he described as the major opposition party in the state in the past, as another reason the APC should not surrender its electoral interests.

On mobilisation, Ijabiyi said the Forum was working towards extending its structures to every ward and polling unit to mobilise voters and secure victory for Tinubu and all APC candidates. He said Ondo State’s more than two million registered voters ahead of the 2027 governorship election presented a significant electoral opportunity, adding that the challenge was to translate the figure into actual voter participation.

“We have therefore set a voter turnout target of at least 80 per cent. The PMF will work towards this through sustained mobilisation and voter education. Alongside this, we must earn sufficient support to deliver at least one million votes for the President,” he said. Ijabiyi directed the Forum’s chapters to develop practical grassroots mobilisation plans, assign responsibilities and provide regular reports on their activities.

He said meetings and political endorsements must translate into measurable engagement with voters in communities across the state. The chairman also urged APC National and State Assembly candidates to intensify their campaigns, identify areas of weak mobilisation and work with local party leaders to strengthen support at the polling-unit level. He said candidates should engage voters directly, explain their legislative priorities and demonstrate how their election would advance the interests of their constituencies.

Ijabiyi further urged the candidates to promote Tinubu’s re-election and support the campaigns of other APC candidates, stressing that victory would depend on effective coordination among party structures and support groups. The Forum reaffirmed its commitment to Tinubu’s re-election and the victory of all APC candidates in the 2027 elections. It also pledged to collaborate with the party leadership, candidates, the Campaign Council and other support groups to mobilise support for the President ahead of his planned reception in the state on November 11.