Some elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have pledged to rally no fewer than 1.5 million voters to ensure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s success in the 2027 presidential election.
The group made this pledge on Monday in a statement issued by its Chairman, Senator Nimbe Farunkanmi following a meeting held in Akure.
Farunkanmi assured that 90 per cent of the votes cast in his state would be for the President, vowing that out of 1.9 million voters, they would secure 1.5 million votes.
He said, “This is the elder’s movement for Tinubu’s continuity in office. This type of meeting will be held at the local government, wards, and units for Tinubu’s re-election.”
Mr Jamiu Ekungba, another leader of the group, explained that the meeting was designed to bring everyone together for mobilisation, stressing that registration would be by commitment.
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He further stated that, to achieve its mission, the party had already started mobilising people for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission
“You know, in the last election, we tried it and we were able to achieve it, because for the governor to win 366,000 votes was unusual.
“So, as somebody has said, we are going to deliver 1.5 million votes to Tinubu, and it is possible because, currently, registered voters in the state are 1.9 million,” he said.
Ekungba stated that the problem came from voters’ disinterest in political participation
“So what the elders want to do now is to persuade everybody to come out and vote, and we’re going to vote massively for Tinubu in such a way that has never been done.
“When we return that figure, nobody would say something happened because it’s going to be real votes,”
Mrs Olukemi Iyantan, the Ondo State representative in the National Population Commission, stated that the focus shifted to the 2027
general election after the November 16, 2024, governorship poll.
“We are focusing on the achievements and the victory at the polls in 2027 for the re-election of our President, Bola Tinubu.
“The issue is the unity of purpose, how we can form a unified force, especially the creation of the elders’ movement.
“So we will always consult the elders for knowledge. This will help us to reach where we are going, unlike before, when we didn’t even have leaders.
“Now that we have leaders and the elders who are committed to the cause of 2027, the re-election of our president will be easier to achieve,” she said.
