Aiyedatiwa’s aide, APC group leader clash over control of Tinubu’s 2027 campaign in Ondo

A fresh disagreement has emerged within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, as a senior aide to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, clashed with a prominent party chieftain Otunba Agboola Kelly over control of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection campaign in the state.

The dispute highlighted growing internal tensions within the party, as key blocs and support groups vie for influence ahead of the next general election.

The clash followed a stakeholders’ meeting in Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area, where Prof. Odimayo and other APC leaders insisted that Governor Aiyedatiwa, as the constitutionally recognised state leader, should automatically head Tinubu’s reelection campaign in Ondo once the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifts the ban on campaign activities.

“We want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make it a matter of compulsion that Governor Aiyedatiwa leads his campaign in Ondo State in the 2027 general elections. We cannot afford to have two leaders in our state, as the governor is the leader of the party. This is what we want in our state during the 2027 general elections,” Odimayo stated, citing resolutions from the meeting.

However, on Saturday, Otunba Kelly, state coordinator of the APC Elders Movement for Tinubu, responded by warning party members against making “provocative statements” that could cause internal friction.

Kelly described Prof. Odimayo as “overzealous,” accusing him of political overreach and attempting to create a crisis to serve personal interests.

“What Simidele Odimayo and his co-travellers are doing is clear – they want to curry favour in Abuja by manufacturing a crisis that does not exist. Their personal ambitions must not be allowed to overheat the polity or sow seeds of disaffection.”

Kelly stressed that Tinubu’s reelection effort is a national project, and independent support groups do not require approval from any individual before mobilising for the President.

He likened the situation to the 2024 Ondo governorship race, where dozens of groups campaigned for Aiyedatiwa without undermining him:

“Just as we had LACO, Friends of Lucky, Aiyedatiwa Vanguard, Youths for Lucky, Women for Aiyedatiwa, and many others during the 2024 election, the same will happen in 2027. These groups will only complement the official campaign structure coordinated by the governor.”

He warned Odimayo and his allies to desist from comments that might threaten the fragile peace within the party.

“The peace and unity currently enjoyed in Ondo APC were hard-won. We will not watch selfish individuals import crisis where none exists,” Kelly added. 

He further alleged that the attempt to insist on a “sole leadership structure” for Governor Aiyedatiwa is a reaction to the growing influence of independent support groups allegedly backed by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (BTO).

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“The truth is that the groups sponsored by the Honourable Minister are doing very well across the state. They are projecting Mr. President more aggressively, more visibly, and more effectively than anyone else. The move by Odimayo is simply a response to Tunji-Ojo’s rising influence.”

In a swift reaction, Prof. Odimayo faulted Kelly’s interpretation of the stakeholders meeting, insisting his comments were taken out of context.

According to him, it would be illogical to ask President Tinubu to appoint Aiyedatiwa as campaign leader when the governor is already the automatic leader of the party in the state:

“There is a misrepresentation. I cannot be saying Tinubu should make Aiyedatiwa the campaign leader. He is already the leader of the party in the state by virtue of being governor – just as the President (Tinubu), the party leader at the federal level,” he said. 

Odimayo, however, argued that the governor’s popularity and performance naturally make him the rallying point for Tinubu’s 2027 bid.

He maintained that independent support groups exist because of the governor’s performance and do not pose a threat.

“Aiyedatiwa won in all 18 local governments – an unprecedented feat in Ondo State. People love him. Carrying him along will give better votes for President Tinubu in 2027.”

“Every other person campaigning is doing so because Aiyedatiwa is performing. They feel their efforts can help the governor, too,” the governor’s aide added.