By Comrade John Samuel O, Chairman, Ondo Central Advocacy Group
The stakes in Ondo APC have gone beyond tickets and structures. This is about protecting the political future of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and keeping Ondo a dependable pillar for 2027.
Senate and presidential elections hold on the same day.
A weak senatorial candidate does not stand alone — he can drag down the presidential ballot above him.
that is why candidate selection here is a national matter, not just a state affair.
President Tinubu’s political rise was built on grassroots legitimacy, inclusion, stakeholder management, and choosing candidates who command real support.
coercion never sustains victories. acceptance on the ground does.
across the south-west, apc survived tough seasons because it fielded people the people already trusted.
Consensus has worked in lagos, ogun, ekiti, and oyo because it reflected broad acceptance after consultations, negotiations, and alignment with grassroots realities.
consensus fails when it looks like imposition to serve a small circle.
that is the burden of fairness now facing Ondo APC.
today, tensions are high.
aspirants across the senatorial districts have rejected perceived imposition and called for direct primaries.
this is a signal. once legitimacy is contested, the party must stop enforcing compliance and start preserving unity.
History is clear: parties lose more to internal injustice than to external opposition. Imposed candidates breed bitterness, silent rebellion, weak mobilization, and factional sabotage.
Silent resistance during the general election is more dangerous than loud opposition, because it kills turnout and enthusiasm without a trace.
Ondo APC cannot afford candidates who lack grassroots popularity, divide local structures, or fail to inspire members.
we need crowd favourites — men and women ordinary party members can defend proudly in markets, communities, campuses, and polling units.
candidates whose emergence energizes the base, not discourages it.
If consensus proves impossible, transparent direct primaries are the safest path.
A credible primary gives winners moral authority and gives losers a reason to cooperate.
Factions reconcile faster, and the party enters the general election stronger.
manipulated primaries, on the other hand, leave wounds that outlast victory celebrations.
Gov. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, party elders, and the nwc now stand at a crossroads.
This is a moment for statesmanship, not expediency. The focus must be on how candidates emerge, not just who emerges, ensure free and fair primaries, equal opportunity, transparent delegate processes, and respect for the will of members.
The ultimate mission is bigger than individual ambition. It is about unity, confidence, and delivering overwhelming victory for President Tinubu in 2027.
Strong structures are not built by imposition, they are built by legitimacy.
#OndoAPC
#FairPrimaries
#Tinubu2027
#GrassrootsLegitimacy
#PartyUnity
#NoImposition
#FollowWhoKnowRoad
©️ Comrade John Samuel O.
Chairman, Ondo Central Advocacy Group
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