…says Atiku, Obi lack support that Tinubu enjoys
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has raised the All Progressives Congress (APC) vote target in Ondo State to 1.2 million ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, urging party leaders and supporters to work toward securing a decisive victory for President Bola Tinubu.
Addressing supporters on Wednesday at the party’s presidential campaign rally at the Akure Township Stadium, Shettima criticized opposition presidential hopefuls Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, questioning their political standing and capacity to offer Nigerians an alternative.
He argued that Tinubu enjoyed the backing of influential political figures across the country, unlike the opposition candidates, who he claimed lacked similar support in their respective states.
Referring particularly to Obi, the Vice-President questioned his economic credentials, saying, “The ability to import cheap South African wines does not make one a guru in economics.”
He also described Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State as mediocre, challenging opposition politicians to point to their major achievements in the last 25 years of democratic governance.
Turning to Ondo, Shettima said the support Tinubu enjoys among prominent political figures in the state demonstrated a growing political consensus around his re-election.
“For the people of Ondo, as we are talking, there is a universal elite consensus backing the President here in Ondo,” he said.
He named former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and former governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, among the prominent figures supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
He also cited the alignment of Gboyega Adefarati, member representing Akoko South-East and Akoko South-West Federal Constituency, as evidence of the APC’s growing political strength.
Shettima, who described the turnout at the rally as a political shutdown, said Ondo could not afford to fall short of expectations given its voting strength.
He put the state’s registered voters at 2.1 million, with about 1.8 million having collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and said the party expected at least 1.2 million votes for Tinubu.
The target is higher than the one-million-vote pledge earlier made by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, who told the gathering that Ondo would stand firmly behind the President’s second-term ambition.
Aiyedatiwa recalled that the state gave Tinubu the highest percentage of votes nationwide in the 2023 presidential election, attributing the support to his record in public service and the confidence the people had in his leadership.
He said the President had continued to justify that support through policies and reforms introduced since taking office in May 2023, adding that the benefits were being felt across different parts of the country.
The governor also thanked Tinubu for the political appointments given to Ondo, particularly the three ministerial positions occupied by Taiwo Oyedele, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, and Ayodele Olawande.
Listing some of his administration’s achievements, Aiyedatiwa said more than 6,000 workers had been recruited, while his government had embarked on road and bridge projects, rehabilitated health facilities, and supported young entrepreneurs.
He urged party members to take the President’s achievements beyond the rally venue by reaching voters in their communities.
“We will all go to the mountains, to the hills, and everywhere to tell the people about your re-election,” he said.
The campaign also received a strong message from Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who urged APC leaders in Ondo to close ranks behind Aiyedatiwa and work together to deliver the state for Tinubu.
Bamidele disclosed that the President personally sent him to convey two messages to the people, one of which was the need for all party leaders to recognize Aiyedatiwa as the state campaign coordinator.
He, however, stressed that the governor must carry every major stakeholder along, naming Mimiko, Oke, Chief Mrs. Oladunni Odu, D.I. Kekemeke, and Wale Akinterinwa among those who should be involved in the campaign.
Bamidele said the election was an opportunity for the party to secure victory not only for Tinubu but also for its National Assembly candidates, urging members to put personal interests aside.
He further urged the people to reciprocate the President’s appointments of three ministers and two ambassadors from Ondo by supporting his re-election.
Earlier, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described Tinubu as the most experienced and prepared among the 18 presidential candidates, saying the President had demonstrated the courage to confront the country’s economic challenges.
Former Zamfara State Governor and Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign, Abdulazeez Yari, also called for stronger mobilization, arguing that the party needed more than an ordinary victory in Ondo.
“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.
He urged the governor and other party leaders to sustain their efforts, adding that the appointments and projects extended to the state by the Federal Government should count in the party’s favor.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, also called on residents who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the election.
He said about one million registered voters in Ondo were yet to collect their cards, urging APC members to ensure that eligible supporters were ready to vote.
Former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, called on Nigerians, particularly young people, to support Tinubu’s return to office, arguing that the country needed experienced leaders to tackle its development challenges.
He pointed to the administration’s investments in roads and railways, efforts to create jobs, and plans to address the country’s electricity problems as reasons Nigerians should give the President another term.
Former Governor Mimiko, in his remarks, assured the President that political leaders in Ondo would work together to deliver the state for him and other APC candidates.
He commended Tinubu for building political consensus on major national issues, including the proposed establishment of state police, but cautioned that the creation of state police alone would not automatically end insecurity.
Oke also pledged the support of APC leaders in the state, saying they had agreed to work together to secure victory for the President.
The rally attracted Vice-President Kashim Shettima; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; former Ekiti State Governor, Niyi Adebayo; former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko; Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele; APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulazeez Yari; former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole; Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele; Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; and other APC chieftains, candidates, political appointees, and supporters from across the state.
The event ended with the presentation of flags to APC candidates in the state, while Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, and other artistes entertained the crowd.
