Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday disowned comments by former Commissioner for Energy, Mr Razaq Obe, on the outcome of the party’s National Assembly primaries, saying his remarks were personal and did not reflect the official position of the party.
The State Chairman of the APC, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, stated this while announcing the constitution of a Reconciliation Committee to address grievances arising from the recently concluded primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Akure, Kolawole said the committee, to be chaired by the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, would immediately begin engaging aggrieved aspirants and party stakeholders.
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Reacting to criticisms by some dissatisfied aspirants, including Obe, the APC chairman maintained that every aspirant had the constitutional right to express personal opinions but stressed that such remarks should not be mistaken for the official position of the ruling party.
“Those who did not win have every right to express their opinions. 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,” Kolawole said.
The APC chairman in Ondo dismissed speculations that disagreements arising from the party’s National Assembly primaries could divide the party, describing them as normal political developments.
According to him, the APC followed its constitutional process by setting up a review committee to examine petitions from the primaries, after which the national leadership took decisions on the committee’s recommendations.
Kolawole said aggrieved aspirants had the right to express their grievances but should respect the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism.
He recalled that he was once denied a return ticket to the House of Representatives after serving one term but accepted the party’s decision and was subsequently appointed a Special Adviser, stressing that “if you don’t get a ticket, your value is still appreciated in the APC.”
“There is no way we will go through political activities without issues. There will be political bickering and arguments, but one thing that is good about our party is that we have internal mechanisms for resolving disagreements,” he added.
Kolawole explained that the decision to constitute the reconciliation committee followed extensive consultations with the party leadership after the conclusion of the party’s congresses, conventions, by-elections and National Assembly primaries.
According to him, the emergence of candidates for the various elective positions signalled the end of one phase of the electoral process and the beginning of reconciliation.
He said, “We’ve done extensive consultations with the leadership, and approval has been given to set up a Reconciliation Committee that will hit the ground running immediately,”
He added that Poroye would head the committee alongside experienced party leaders and stakeholders with state and national influence to foster unity and ensure that aggrieved members remained within the fold.
The APC chairman also dismissed concerns that the absence of a formidable opposition in Ondo State could undermine democracy, attributing the party’s growing acceptance to the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s OUR EASE agenda.
Kolawole further disclosed that the party had registered about 84 support groups across the state and was working towards delivering at least one million votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election through coordinated grassroots mobilisation.
He added that the party would harmonise and coordinate all the support groups through its established structures to strengthen grassroots mobilisation ahead of the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 general elections.