A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southwest geopolitical zone, the Oodua Progressive Youths League (OPYL), has warned governors of the zone against sabotaging the candidates of the party in their respective states.
The group, through a statement by its General Secretary, Hon Wale Abdulwaheed, said some aggrieved governors planned to frustrate the chances of candidates who emerged from the party’s National Assembly primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said some governors whose preferred aspirants lost the National Assembly tickets allegedly directed their candidates to seek tickets from other political parties and contest against APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Abdulwaheed alleged that the governors had reached an understanding with some opposition parties on the selection of polling agents for the elections.
According to him, the affected governors had directed their sponsored candidates on the platforms of opposition parties to nominate their loyalists, who are still members of the APC, as agents for the ruling party.
The OPYL alleged that the names would subsequently be submitted to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja as the party’s agents in their respective states.
Abdulwaheed said the governors of Benue and Ondo states, Hyacinth Alia and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, have come under scrutiny over the alleged development.
The group said in Ondo State, the allegation has assumed a more serious dimension, with party sources claiming that the governor’s strained relationship with some APC candidates could affect the party’s campaign structure and election-day operations.
Aiyedatiwa has denied directing any aspirant or candidate to contest against APC candidates on the platform of another political party.
While dismissing allegations that he was involved in anti-party activities, the governor described his accusers as “naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers.”
Aiyedatiwa said, “I have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. I have never engaged in anti-party activities in my life.”
However, a source within the party in the state, while confirming the alleged involvement of the governor’s anti-party, accused him of being “disingenuous”, alleging that his activities and those of his supporters ahead of the 2027 elections pointed to anti-party moves.
The group alleged that the governor appointed about 1,000 Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants to strengthen his political structure for an alleged anti-party campaign under the Rainbow Coalition.
His words: “It is no longer a hidden agenda in Ondo State. Even a newborn baby is aware of who is sponsoring the Rainbow Coalition in the state.”
The group claimed that despite Aiyedatiwa’s public denial, the governor was involved in the political ambitions of Matthew Oyerinmade, popularly known as MATO, who is now the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ondo South Senatorial District, and Prince Idowu Mafimisebi, who is contesting the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency seat on the PDP platform.
According to him, “We are also aware that it was the governor who directed Tajudeen Akinfisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, who lost the APC ticket, to move to the Social Democratic Party platform to contest the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency seat against the APC candidate, Festus Akingbaso.”
The group raised concerns over the governor’s alleged relationship with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the Ondo Central Senatorial District, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, who is an ally of the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The group asked whether such a relationship could affect the APC’s chances in the senatorial district.
He said: “Is there a way that the governor will direct his supporters to mobilise votes for Akinyelure against the party’s candidate, Senator Niyi Adegbonmire, SAN, and such moves will not affect the votes for President Bola Tinubu and thereafter give huge votes to Atiku in Ondo Central?”
The group alleged that candidates of opposition parties, including Oyerinmade, Mafimisebi, Akinfisoye, Akinyelure and the Ondo North Senatorial candidate of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Chief Alex Ajipe, had been directed to nominate their loyalists who remained APC members as agents.
He said: “Also, Hon. Abiola Makinde, who represents the Ondo West/Ondo East Federal Constituency and is currently in court challenging the victory of Dr Michael Ajilo, who defeated him in the party’s primary, has been directed to submit the names of party agents for his federal constituency.
“The intention is to submit these names to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja as the party agents for APC in Ondo State.
“You know the power party agents possess on election day. This is part of the plot to ensure these APC National Assembly candidates fail,” the source alleged.
