…Insists: I’ve not asked any candidate to contest under another party

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

AKURE — Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has denied allegations that he is involved in anti-party activities following the substitution of his preferred National Assembly candidates by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Aiyedatiwa spoke on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting with APC local government and ward chairmen in Akure.

The governor described those spreading the allegations as “naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers” and declared zero tolerance for anti-party activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said reports that he was sponsoring candidates of other political parties in retaliation against the APC leadership were false.

“I have zero tolerance for anti-party. I have never engaged in anti-party in my life,” he declared. “I have not asked any candidate to contest in any other party.”

The governor traced his political loyalty to the progressive political bloc, recalling that even when the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were dominant in his senatorial district, he chose to join the Alliance for Democracy (AD)/Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

He also recounted his experience during the 2019 APC governorship primary, when he said he won the exercise but the national leadership overturned the result.

“The party leadership was supreme. That experience taught me the need for members to respect the authority and decisions of the leadership,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa urged the 18 local government and 203 ward chairmen to mobilise at the grassroots and work towards victory for the APC in 2027.

“Elections are won at the polling units. And the polling units are right there in the ward. And you are the ward chairmen. You are occupying a significant role in party structure,” he said.

He directed ward chairmen and secretaries to hold regular meetings to deliberate on party affairs, stressing that mobilisation must not be mixed with anti-party activities.

“So, no to anti-party. Let’s support Mr President and all the candidates of our party,” he added.

The state APC Chairman, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, called for total loyalty to the governor and the party.

Kolawole said the governor had directed the party to secure 100 per cent support for all APC candidates.

He warned that the party had gathered intelligence on acts of disloyalty and that those found culpable would face consequences.

The chairman commended Aiyedatiwa for activating the party’s organs and approving a 100 per cent increase in allowances for ward and local government chairmen as well as state executives.

Speaking on behalf of the local government chairmen, Oluwadare Fadumo, thanked the governor for what he described as unprecedented support for councils, market women and youths.

“We want to thank you because this is the first time this is happening in the history of politics in Ondo State,” Fadumo said.

The governor said the commendations for his administration’s projects were encouraging and would spur the government to fast-track ongoing projects.