2027: Ondo APC disowns Ex-commissioner over claim Tinubu may lose state

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has officially disowned a statement made by former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Rasaq Obe. Obe had publicly suggested that President Bola Tinubu might lose the 2027 presidential election in the state, a claim the party leadership refutes.

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Every aspirant has the constitutional right to express personal opinions but such views did not represent the position of the party.

State Chairman Hon Kolawole Babatunde clarified that Obe, who was an aspirant for the Ifedore/Idanre Federal Constituency and lost his party's ticket, was expressing personal opinions. Babatunde stressed that Obe's views do not reflect the position of the APC in Ondo State or its constituents. "Every aspirant has the constitutional right to express personal opinions but such views did not represent the position of the party," Babatunde stated.

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Razaq Obe is entitled to his opinion. He did not speak on behalf of the party, the government or the leadership. He spoke as an individual.

Babatunde assured that the internal disagreements arising from the party's primaries are not significant enough to divide the APC in Ondo State. He explained that such political contests naturally involve disagreements, but the party possesses internal mechanisms for resolution. To address grievances and foster unity, the party has established a reconciliation committee.

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For me, these are normal political issues. They are not strong enough to divide us as a party. The normal process is that we will have primaries. After the primaries, there will be various steps that will be taken by the party and by the national leadership. Those steps have been taken.

This committee, chaired by Prince Biyi Poroye, head of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, is tasked with engaging aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders. Their mandate is to resolve the post-primary election crisis and strengthen internal cohesion within the party. Babatunde noted that the party has navigated a demanding political calendar, including congresses and conventions, and is committed to moving forward united.

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There is no way we will go through political activities without issues. There will be political bickering, there will be arguments, but one thing that is good about our party is that we have internal mechanisms for resolving disagreements.