President Bola Tinubu has placed an ambitious electoral responsibility on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, demanding at least 1.2 million votes in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The target, announced through Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Akure on Wednesday, has raised the stakes for the ruling party’s political machinery in the state, particularly as its leaders grapple with the task of uniting different factions ahead of the election.
Addressing supporters at the Akure Township Stadium, Shettima said Ondo, with approximately 2.1 million registered voters and 1.8 million collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), had sufficient electoral strength to deliver the expected votes for Tinubu.
“It is our expectation that Ondo should be able to deliver 1.2 million votes out of the 1.8 million PVCs collected so far,” he said.
The demand represents a significant increase from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s earlier pledge to secure at least one million votes for the President.
However, the challenge appears to extend beyond securing public endorsements, as the APC leadership must also resolve internal differences and establish a coordinated grassroots mobilisation structure capable of translating campaign promises into actual votes.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed that Tinubu had specifically directed party leaders in the state to recognise Aiyedatiwa as the sole coordinator of his presidential campaign.
He urged political stakeholders across the state’s three senatorial districts to work together, warning against divisions that could weaken the party’s electoral prospects.
Bamidele also emphasised the need for the governor to accommodate other influential stakeholders in the campaign structure.
The APC’s Director-General of Presidential Campaign, Abdulaziz Yari, however, suggested that even the governor’s one-million-vote commitment was insufficient, insisting that the party should aim for a much bigger electoral margin.
“We are not looking for Asiwaju to win in Ondo State. We are looking for Asiwaju to get millions of votes that will give the margin for the presidency,” Yari said.
Governor Aiyedatiwa attributed the state’s support for Tinubu to what he described as the benefits of the President’s administration, particularly federal appointments, economic reforms and infrastructure development.
He specifically highlighted the appointment of three ministers from Ondo State, including Taiwo Oyedele, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo and Ayodele Olawande, arguing that the administration had demonstrated its commitment to the state.
The governor also listed the recruitment of more than 6,000 workers, rehabilitation of healthcare facilities, infrastructure projects and support for young entrepreneurs among his administration’s achievements.
He pledged that the state would reciprocate the President’s interventions through massive electoral support.
Meanwhile, Shettima used the rally to question the political strength of opposition presidential candidates, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.
He argued that the opposition lacked the political consensus and grassroots presence enjoyed by Tinubu, accusing its candidates of relying heavily on social media campaigns.
The Vice-President particularly questioned Atiku’s political influence in Adamawa State, while dismissing Obi’s economic credentials.
“The ability to import cheap South African wines does not make one a guru in economics,” he said.
The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, also described Tinubu as the most experienced and prepared among the 18 presidential candidates, maintaining that the administration had made progress in addressing Nigeria’s economic difficulties.
Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and other political leaders at the rally pledged to work together to secure victory for the President.
However, the party’s ability to meet the 1.2 million-vote expectation will depend largely on its capacity to resolve internal disagreements, mobilise eligible voters and convince residents that the benefits highlighted by its leaders justify another presidential mandate.
With the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, the Ondo target has become an important test of the APC’s organisational strength and the effectiveness of its political leadership in the South-West.
