Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has denied allegations that he is sponsoring members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defect to other political parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
Aiyedatiwa spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting with APC local government and ward chairmen in Akure, on Monday.
The governor declared zero tolerance for anti-party activities within the ruling APC.
Aiyedatiwa said he had never asked any party member or candidate to leave the APC or contest an election under another political platform.
He urged party leaders to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I didn’t tell any candidate to run in any other party,” Aiyedatiwa said.
He dismissed allegations linking him to alleged moves by some APC members to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties.
The governor described the allegations as falsehoods being circulated by what he called “naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers”.
“I have zero tolerance for anti-party. I have never engaged in anti-party in my life,” he declared.
Aiyedatiwa said his political history demonstrated his loyalty to the progressive political family, recalling that he chose to join the Alliance for Democracy (AD/ACN) at a time when the Labour Party was in government and the PDP was strong in his senatorial district and local government.
He urged APC members to remain support President Bola Tinubu and all candidates of the party in the 2027 elections.
“So, no anti-party, that’s what I’m trying to say. Let’s support Mr President and all the candidates of our party,” he stated.
Aiyedatiwa tasked the 18 local government and 203 ward chairmen of the party with mobilising voters at the grassroots.
He directed ward chairmen and secretaries to hold regular meetings and bring party leaders together to deliberate on party affairs and preparations for the elections.
Earlier, in his welcome address, state chairman of the APC, Mr. Babatunde Kolawole, urged the local government and ward chairmen to support all APC candidates, saying that the governor had directed the party to achieve 100 per cent support for its candidates.
Kolawole warned that anti-party activities would not be tolerated, adding that the party had already gathered intelligence on alleged acts of disloyalty from party members.
He stressed that those found culpable would face consequences at the appropriate time.
Expressing the confidence that the APC would win the presidential election, the National Assembly and the state House of Assembly elections, the APC chairman commended Aiyedatiwa for activating the party’s organs, including the State Executive Committee, caucus and Elders Council.
He said that reconciliation committees had been established across the state, while a stakeholders’ working committee was reaching out to members.
Kolawole also commended the governor for approving ward meetings to strengthen the party at the grassroots and for increasing the allowances of ward and local government chairmen by 100 per cent.
Speaking on behalf of the 18 local government chairmen of the party, the chairman of the APC in Akure North Local Government, Oluwadare Fadumo, commended Aiyedatiwa for what he described as unprecedented support for the councils and their people.
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