2027: Ondo APC warns against selective support

… insists on total backing for candidates

The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned members against supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election while backing opposition candidates for legislative positions.

The warning followed the position of the Rainbow Coalition to support Tinubu while fielding or backing candidates on other political platforms, which the Ondo APC said could undermine the party’s electoral interests.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the State Secretary of the party, Alex Kalejaye, the APC said its members were expected to give total support to all its candidates, from the presidential election to the state House of Assembly polls.

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Kalejaye said the party was committed to mobilising votes for Tinubu, its three senatorial candidates, nine House of Representatives candidates and 26 House of Assembly candidates across the state.

He stressed that support for all APC candidates was “not negotiable”, adding that the party’s campaign and mobilisation efforts must be directed towards securing victory at all levels.

According to him, the state chapter had no agreement with members who had left the APC to contest elections on other platforms, saying the party’s immediate concern was to secure victory for its candidates.

Kalejaye warned that the party would not condone anti-party activities by its members, adding that those found supporting opposition parties or candidates would face appropriate sanctions.

He said, “The State Secretariat views romancing with other political parties or candidates on other platforms as a clear case of affront to our collective success. Anyone caught indulging in such activities would be appropriately sanctioned.”

The APC secretary urged members to shun actions capable of creating disaffection within the party and instead work towards strengthening unity and cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the party was targeting at least one million votes in Ondo State and would require the commitment of its members and supporters across the 18 local government areas to achieve the target.

Kalejaye also warned that a coalition arrangement in which Tinubu was supported on one platform while candidates for other elective positions were backed on another could create confusion on election day.

“It is expedient to emphasise that a coalition which supports only the President on a platform, and other candidates on another, would lead to confusion and electoral crisis, even on the day of election,” he said.

The statement comes amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Rainbow Coalition featuring in discussions around support for Tinubu and candidates contesting on different political platforms.

The Ondo APC therefore called on its members to prioritise party unity and mobilisation for all its candidates as the 2027 elections approach.