Fresh crisis brews in Ondo APC over Tinubu’s support groups

A fresh political storm is gathering within the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT) has strongly opposed a directive by the party’s state leadership mandating the registration of all support groups mobilising for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the state.

The Ondo State leadership of the APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Otunba Muyide Kayode, had directed all political support groups and affiliated structures to formally register with the party, as part of efforts to strengthen cohesion, enforce discipline, and streamline mobilisation ahead of forthcoming elections.

However, GMT, a prominent pro-Tinubu mobilisation platform in the state, strongly rejected the directive, warning that it could deepen internal divisions within the party and undermine grassroots support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The GMT, in a statement signed by its Director of Media, Ojo Oyewamide, condemned the directive as coercive, ill-timed, and potentially destabilising, warning that it risks igniting deeper internal conflict within the Ondo State chapter of the APC.

The group argued that the move appears to impose undue control over independent support structures that have organically mobilised grassroots backing for President Tinubu, stressing that such an approach could alienate loyal party supporters rather than unify them.

It further cautioned that, instead of strengthening cohesion as intended, the directive may breed resentment, suppress initiative among volunteer groups, and ultimately weaken the party’s electoral readiness in the state.

The group noted that the directive has already sparked outrage among its members across the state, many of whom are still dealing with the fallout of previous intra-party crises, including violence that reportedly left some hospitalised and others mourning lost relatives.

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While the APC leadership justified the directive as a strategic move to build a comprehensive database, prevent rivalry among groups and enhance electoral readiness, GMT dismissed the explanation, insisting that independent support groups have been the backbone of the party’s survival in the state.

“It is rather unfortunate that the present executive members appear more concerned with issuing directives than seeking legitimacy and reconciliation,” GMT said,

Oyewamide stated in the statement that “It is rather unfortunate that the present executive members of the state APC appear more concerned with issuing directives than seeking legitimacy and reconciliation from party members who were forcefully thrown out of the same party secretariat they now occupy.

“At this critical time, they ought to have allowed sleeping dogs to lie and focused on uniting all stakeholders for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rather than issuing draconian orders aimed at coercing people into submission.

“Today, several support groups, including civil society organisations, market women, socio-cultural bodies and other interest groups, are actively working for the re-election of President Tinubu, deploying their personal resources to fund mobilisation efforts.

“It is surprising that individuals who did not emerge as delegates at their ward levels, in accordance with party guidelines before their emergence as state executives, are now attempting to issue directives and collapse various independent groups under one umbrella.

“They now seek to reintroduce the same process they denied last year. Ironically, these support groups they intend to coerce have remained the backbone of the party’s survival over the past year”

The group, however, argued that the attempt to compel registration amounts to an effort to collapse independent structures and reassert control over grassroots mobilisation networks that have operated autonomously.

GMT further questioned the credibility of the state leadership, alleging that some officials did not emerge through proper ward-level processes before assuming office, yet are now seeking to impose directives on established support groups.

The statement, however, invoked the position of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who, it said, has consistently encouraged the proliferation of support groups as part of broader mobilisation efforts, stressing that such inclusiveness contributed to his own electoral success.

GMT described the directive as an “anti-mobilisation move” that could undermine President Tinubu’s re-election bid, urging the party leadership to prioritise unity, healing and stakeholder engagement over what it called “vendetta-driven actions.”

“We therefore advise the current leadership of the party to focus on policies and actions that will unite members, heal existing wounds and foster reconciliation instead of pursuing a vendetta.

“The return of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains our watchword. The Ondo APC has a greater responsibility to unite its members than to issue fruitless directives that could undermine the party’s chances in the next elections.

“We view this directive as an anti-mobilisation move against the re-election of President Tinubu. GMT is a national body duly registered with the APC at the national level in Abuja. The Ondo State chapter derives its authority from the party’s national structure” the statement stated.