A fresh crisis is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections over allegations that some aggrieved governors are working to undermine candidates who emerged from the party’s National Assembly primaries.
The South-West APC support group, Oodua Progressive Youths League (OPYL), raised the alarm in a statement by its General Secretary, Wale Abdulwaheed, alleging that some governors whose preferred aspirants lost the party’s tickets had encouraged them to contest on opposition platforms.
Abdulwaheed further alleged that some of the opposition candidates were being encouraged to nominate loyalists who remained APC members as polling agents, with their names to be forwarded to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja as agents of the ruling party.
He alleged that the arrangement was designed to give such candidates influence over the party’s election-day machinery while they contest against APC candidates on other platforms.
In Ondo, the allegation has heightened tensions following the APC primaries and the emergence of rival political platforms ahead of 2027.
Aiyedatiwa has denied directing any APC aspirant or candidate to contest against the party on another platform, describing his accusers as ‘naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers.’
However, a party source accused the governor of being ‘disingenuous’, alleging that his political activities and those of his supporters suggested an attempt to build a parallel structure ahead of 2027.
The source claimed that the appointment of about 1,000 Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants was part of efforts to strengthen the governor’s political structure and alleged that the structure was being deployed in support of the Rainbow Coalition.
The source further alleged that Aiyedatiwa was linked to the political ambitions of Matthew Oyerinmade, popularly known as MATO, now the PDP candidate for Ondo South Senatorial District, and Prince Idowu Mafimisebi, who is contesting the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency seat on the PDP platform.
It also alleged that Tajudeen Akinfisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, who lost the APC ticket for Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency, was directed to contest on the SDP platform against the APC candidate, Festus Akingbaso.
The source also raised concerns over the alleged relationship between the governor and Senator Ayo Akinyelure, the ADC candidate for Ondo Central and an ally of ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, questioning whether such a relationship could affect the APC candidate, Senator Niyi Adegbonmire, and President Bola Tinubu’s votes in the district.
It was further alleged that Oyerinmade, Mafimisebi, Akinfisoye, Akinyelure and the Ondo North senatorial candidate of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Chief Alex Ajipe, had been encouraged to nominate APC members as polling agents.