Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to unite and mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu and all the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

Mr Aiyedatiwa ‌⁠‍‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‍‍‌‌made the call during the APC Elders Council meeting in Akure on Monday.

The governor said the APC had only one structure in the state and urged members to work together to strengthen the party and ensure victory at the polls.

“APC is one. There are no two APCs in Ondo State,” he said.

Mr Aiyedatiwa directed the activation of the APC Elders Council across the 18 local government areas.

The governor said state-level meetings of the council could be held quarterly.

He appealed to party faithful to support his administration, saying the development of the state required the collective efforts of all stakeholders.

The governor said the party must strengthen its structures across the 18 LGAs, 203 political wards and 3,933 polling units in the state.

“I need the support of everyone: the elders, the women, the youth, everyone.

“The first thing is to bring everybody together under one umbrella: the umbrella of APC. We have only one party, and we have only one chairman.

“We don’t want to leave anybody out. Even those who are trying to create another faction, we are talking to them that APC must remain one,” he said.

The governor also said medical equipment had been procured for various hospitals, particularly the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Ondo.

According to him, the teaching hospital has received an MRI machine and a CT scan, adding that the state had never purchased an MRI machine since its creation.

Mr Aiyedatiwa, however, stressed that the mobilisation should not be limited to the presidential election but should cover APC candidates contesting the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections.

Earlier, the APC state chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, said the experience of party elders remained important to the growth and stability of the party.

Mr Babatunde said the State Working Committee was relatively young compared with some of the elders who had contributed to the evolution of the party from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Congress (AC) to the APC.

He said the APC constitution recognised the Elders Council as an integral part of the party structure, with responsibilities including offering advice, ensuring stability, initiating policies, regulating proceedings and formulating a code of conduct.

He said the party would make greater progress by tapping into the experience and wisdom of its elders.

Mr Babatunde added that the achievements of the Aiyedatiwa administration in infrastructure, healthcare, security and water supply would provide the APC with issues to campaign on ahead of the 2027 elections.

Earlier, the chairman of the APC Elders Council, Nimbe Farukanmi, called for unity among members, urging them to support Mr Aiyedatiwa and Mr Tinubu.

Mr Farukanmi described the meeting as an opportunity for party leaders and members from the three senatorial districts to reconnect and deliberate on the progress of the state.

He urged members to avoid misunderstanding and work together, describing Mr Aiyedatiwa as an open-minded leader who had reached out to him on issues concerning cooperation among party leaders.

(NAN)