The political atmosphere across Ondo State remains highly volatile as a tense information vacuum fuels widespread anxiety ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly candidate announcements. While the internet and the party’s grassroots are on edge, a very different, highly calculated game of high-stakes chess is playing out within the walls of the Government House.
The panic gripping the state was triggered by a “leaked memo” listing substituted candidates of Pro Lucky Aiyedatiwa in favour of serving federal lawmakers in the state. According to party members, the leaked memo is viewed not as an accident but as a deliberate attempt within the APC to force Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa into making a premature public statement or an angry misstep.
While his followers are visibly anxious and mounting immense pressure on him to speak out, Governor Aiyedatiwa’s absolute silence is being misread by his opponents as weakness. In reality, it is his most potent weapon. A sitting governor does not trade insults in public or chase rumours of leaked memos; doing so would only validate the panic. Instead, Aiyedatiwa is silently wielding the formidable, institutional power of the executive office. Behind closed doors, his camp is moving with absolute precision.
Sources indicate that he is quietly utilising the immense leverage of the APC Governors’ Forum to remind the party’s national leadership in Abuja that a ruling party cannot successfully run a general election in Ondo State without the governor’s financial, logistical, and structural backing. A member of the NWC, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted that the governors’ forum is already aware of the crisis in Ondo. According to him, leaking that kind of memo is premature because the party still has room for replacement.
Moreover, they have given Aiyedatiwa leverage to present a genuine argument before the party, citing the cases of Donald Ojogo and Isaac Kekemeke, who both come from the same LGA, as significant errors that will not stand. The NWC member also argued that what was done against Abiola Makinde in Ondo West/East was a double standard and unfair, an aspect the party may need to review, adding that Makinde has paid his dues not only as Director General of the APC state governorship campaign for Aiyedatiwa but also as a ranking House of Representatives member who has served his constituency and the party well.
Despite the confidence of the governor’s inner circle, the delay in releasing the official candidate list has left Ondo State in a state of suspended animation. The tension is palpable, as every member of the party from incumbent lawmakers to grassroots organisers knows that the names that eventually appear on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are what ultimately matters. Until that final list is officially published and uploaded, the battle for the tickets is far from over.
Aiyedatiwa’s supporters believe that when the dust finally settles and the official communication channels speak, the governor’s silent, backroom manoeuvres will ensure he secures the final, decisive laugh.
On the other hand, loyalists of the serving lawmakers believe it is the end of the road for Governor Aiyedatiwa’s anointed candidates in Ondo State. They assert that the presidency has taken a final decision on the matter and that there is no going back. According to them, Governor Aiyedatiwa has nothing to lose, as the federal lawmakers are to work directly with the president, and the president’s interest is paramount and supreme in this matter.
They are of the opinion that the leadership of the party in Abuja is only implementing the promise made to the lawmakers by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who had promised some of them return tickets under the National Assembly leadership.
As this battle continues, Starnews NG is closely monitoring the situation with the aim of providing fresh and authentic updates to the public.
Leave a Reply