The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected any coalition arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections that would require the party to surrender its candidates or constituencies in exchange for support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The Chairman of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum in Ondo State, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, said although the party was open to collaborating with opposition parties to secure Tinubu’s second term, such an arrangement must not undermine the electoral prospects of APC candidates in the state.
Ijabiyi, who stated this on Wednesday at a meeting of the forum in Akure, said the APC, being the ruling party in Ondo State and controlling government at both state and local government levels, had no justification for sacrificing its candidates under any coalition arrangement.
He said, “We recognise the value of cooperation among political parties pursuing a common objective. However, the circumstances of each state must determine the form such cooperation takes.
“In Ondo State, the APC is the dominant political party, controlling government at both the state and local government levels.
“We therefore see no justification for any coalition arrangement that requires us to sacrifice our candidates or surrender constituencies in exchange for support for President Tinubu.”
The APC chieftain, however, called on opposition political parties and their supporters to rally behind Tinubu’s re-election, stressing that support for the president should not be made conditional on displacing APC candidates.
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“Our position is straightforward: we welcome cooperation for President Tinubu’s victory, but we do not support bargaining away the electoral prospects of our candidates.
“APC is dominant in Ondo State, we have no reason to be chasing away our candidate. Rainbow coalition is to breach weaknesses of every party.
“Assuming there is some political party that has stronghold in some area where we are weak, we can say okay let take the candidate in that LG, support him but there is no constituentcy that we cannot win. We are going to win all.
“So which party is bold enough for us to support in Ondo State, I don’t know anyone. The major political opponent we have in Ondo State was PDP, I specifically used the word was, but where is PDP today? Where are their candidate?
“They don’t even have presidential candidate. They have gone down. Is it all this emergency candidate that we are going to step down for?
“We have no course for that. In other states, if there circumstances permit it, why not? We are not against it, but it doesn’t apply to us,”
Ijabiyi disclosed that the forum had commenced grassroots mobilisation through the Progressive Mandate Forum (PMF), with chapters inaugurated simultaneously across the state’s 18 local government areas on October 21.
He said the structure was designed to extend mobilisation to every ward and polling unit, with a target of securing at least one million votes for Tinubu and ensuring the victory of all APC National and State Assembly candidates.
According to him, with more than two million registered voters in Ondo State, the party is targeting at least 80 per cent voter turnout in the 2027 elections.
“Our challenge is to translate that strength into actual 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,” he said.
Ijabiyi urged women and youths in the party to take leading roles in the mobilisation drive, particularly through door-to-door campaigns, voter education and engagement with undecided voters.
He said women and young people had extensive grassroots networks capable of reaching voters in homes, markets, workplaces, schools and communities.
The forum chairman also challenged APC National and State Assembly candidates to intensify their campaigns, engage voters directly and work with party structures to identify areas requiring stronger mobilisation.
He said candidates must demonstrate their legislative priorities and explain how their election would advance the interests of their constituencies while also campaigning for Tinubu and other APC candidates.
“Every polling unit matters. Every candidate has a responsibility to help deliver it,” he said.
On the forthcoming presidential campaign rally scheduled for November 11 in Ondo State, Ijabiyi called on party leaders, candidates, support groups, women and youths to mobilise support for the President.
He said the state must use the rally to demonstrate its commitment to Tinubu’s re-election, describing the event as an opportunity to showcase the party’s grassroots strength.
“We want the President to see a state united in its determination to support his re-election. We want our reception to convey a clear message: he is our own, and we are his,” he said.
Ijabiyi, however, urged party members not to allow the enthusiasm generated by the rally to end with the event, but to sustain the mobilisation until the 2027 elections.
He also called for unity among party members, warning that internal disagreements and personal political interests must not undermine the collective ambition of securing victory for Tinubu and all APC candidates.
He said the Progressive Mandate Forum would provide a coordinated structure linking the state leadership with local government chapters, wards, and polling units to ensure effective communication, feedback, and sustained grassroots engagement.
“Our charge to every leader and member is simple: Organise your community. Mobilise your polling unit. Turn support into votes,” Ijabiyi said.
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