2027: We’re all working for Tinubu’s re-election – Aiyedatiwa

Ondo governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said the APC governors and the Rainbow Coalition being led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are both working for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu next year.

Speaking on Politics Today monitored by Nigerian Tribune on Monday night in Abuja, Aiyedatiwa said he doesn’t have any problem with the FCT minister, and said there is freedom of association for any individual or groups to support the President, while adding that there is nothing wrong with having different groups working separately or collectively to make sure that President Tinubu returns to office next year.

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He said Ondo, as an APC state, is fully behind the President and will do all it can to deliver votes for Tinubu next year.

He said, “Let me say this. Politics is about interest, relationships, alliances, if you like. Rainbow Coalition is being led by His Excellency, Honourable Minister Nyesom Wike. There’s nothing wrong with having coalitions or alliances; it’s all about interest. Who wants to be part of that? There’s freedom of association, of being one or becoming a member of one association or the other. Just as we have a lot of support groups supporting the President. We have PBAT for Tinubu, led by Tompolo. We have other Tinubu support groups. They are campaigning for the re-election of the President.

“So, if Rainbow Coalition is also a form of a support group for the President, what is wrong with that? Nothing. In my state, it is APC all the way. That does mean that I don’t have a relationship with Wike. I don’t have any problem with Wike. At one point, he didn’t support my principal when I was a deputy because he was in PDP. He’s still in PDP anyway. He supported (Eyitayo) Jegede at one time, even up to the Supreme Court. But during my own election, he supported me. Wike supported me even though he was in PDP. He didn’t support the candidate of the PDP in my state.

“I am an APC. I don’t belong to support groups but I’m patron to a lot of support groups in my state. I’m an APC member, APC governor. Everything politics in Ondo State must be APC. I’m a progressive. Even when I was joining politics in 2010, Labour Party was in government in Ondo State, Mimiko. I did not join Labour Party. PDP had just been dislodged still very strong in Ondo at the time, I did not join. I joined ACN. Progressive. That is the political philosophy I believe in.”

The governor also added that the state government is working together with security agencies to tackle security issues and get the state rid of criminal elements, especially bandits and terrorists who are being neutralised by Nigerian troops.