Elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have rejected plans for a coalition with other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the party can secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election without such an arrangement.
The Rainbow Coalition, reportedly formed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is a cross-party platform aimed at supporting Tinubu’s re-election while allowing participating parties to contest local government and legislative positions. However, the Chairman of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mandate Elders Forum, Dr Demola Ijabiyi, said on Wednesday during a meeting in Akure that the arrangement was unnecessary in Ondo State.
Ijabiyi maintained that the APC had a strong political presence in the state, where it controls both the state and local governments. He expressed confidence that the party could deliver more than one million votes for the President. He said the elders welcomed support from other political parties but would not accept an arrangement that required the APC to give up its candidates or constituencies in exchange for backing Tinubu.
According to him, the party intends to secure victory for its entire ticket while encouraging other political groups to support the President’s re-election. Ijabiyi also urged the party’s National Assembly and State House of Assembly candidates to participate actively in the ongoing mobilization campaign, stressing the importance of reaching voters at the polling unit level.
He called on candidates to assess the party’s strength in their constituencies, identify areas where mobilization was weak and work with local leaders to improve support. The APC elders’ chairman further encouraged women and youths in the party to begin door-to-door campaigns across the state to help achieve the target of more than one million votes for Tinubu.
He said women and young people had important roles to play because of their connections with communities, markets, schools, workplaces and other social groups. Ijabiyi urged party members to engage voters respectfully, address their concerns with factual information and involve women and youths in leadership, planning and mobilization activities. He also called on party leaders at the local government and ward levels to ensure that women and young people were actively involved in taking the party’s message to communities across Ondo State.
APC elders in Ondo State have rejected the proposed Rainbow Coalition, saying the party can secure Tinubu’s re-election without giving up its candidates or political positions.
They have urged party members, particularly women and youths, to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
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