Some elders in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress have pledged to mobilise eligible voters in the state to cast their votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The elders, under the aegis of the Ondo State APC Elders Movement, said they would work to ensure that at least 1.5 million of the 1.9 million registered voters in the state troop out on election day to support the president.
Ondo State has historically played a significant role in Nigeriaâs electoral landscape, often considered a swing state in presidential elections.
In the 2023 general election, Tinubu outperformed his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Despite this, voter turnout in the state was relatively low, with less than 30 per cent of registered voters casting their ballots â a trend that mirrored nationwide voter apathy.
Chairman of the group, Senator Nimbe Farunkanmi, made the pledge on Monday during a meeting of the movement in Akure, the state capital.
According to the octogenarian, the group is composed of party elders committed to the unity and success of the APC in the state. He expressed confidence that 90 per cent of the votes in Ondo would go to Tinubu, stressing that the elders were ready to deploy their influence across the state to achieve the target.
He said, âThis is the eldersâ movement for Tinubuâs continuity, and this is not a case of âI am a support group.â This type of meeting is going to be held at the local government, itâs going to be held at the wards, and itâs going to be held at the units for Tinubuâs re-election.â
Also speaking, another leader, Mr. Jamiu Ekungba, explained that the essence of the meeting was to bring party faithful together for mobilisation, adding that registration would be anchored on commitment.
He revealed that the elders were already mobilising citizens to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Ekungba said, âYou 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.
âThe problem is that people donât come out to vote. So what the elders want to do now is to persuade everybody to come out and vote, and weâre going to vote massively for Tinubu in such a way that has never been done. So that when we return that figure, nobody would say something happened, because itâs going to be real votes.â
In her remarks, Ondo State representative at the National Population Commission, Mrs. Olukemi Iyantan, said the focus had already shifted to the 2027 general elections following the November 16, 2024, governorship poll in the state.
She said, âWe 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 with the creation of the eldersâ movement.
âSo whatever the elders do, consult them for knowledge and wisdom. It will help us to reach where we are going, unlike before, when we didnât even have leaders; thatâs why you saw the party in shambles. But now that we have leaders and elders committed to the cause of 2027, the re-election of our president, you know that we can go higher, go everywhere so that we can achieve our aim.â
Ahead of the 2027 polls, both the ruling APC and opposition parties are strategising to boost participation and consolidate support bases.
INECâs Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which resumed in May 2025, is central to this mobilisation, as it is expected to expand the number of eligible voters.
The APC in Ondo has also been grappling with internal divisions, particularly around the November 2024 governorship election, where primaries sparked tension among party stakeholders.
The formation of the APC Elders Movement appears to be an effort to stabilise the party, strengthen unity, and consolidate support for Tinubuâs re-election bid.
