2027: Ondo APC to set up reconciliation committees

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By Dayo Johnson, Akure

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AKURE — Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to establish nine-member reconciliation committees in each of the 18 local government areas of the state.

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Chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee, Prince Biyi Poroye, disclosed this in Akure during a meeting with local government chairmen and other party stakeholders.

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Poroye said the committees would comprise nine members each and would be tasked with deepening reconciliation at the grassroots and addressing grievances among party members.

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He said the state reconciliation committee was inaugurated by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa following disagreements arising from the state and National Assembly primaries in the state.

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According to him, the exercise was not only about electoral victory but also aimed at rebuilding unity, discipline and inclusiveness within the party.

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“Reconciliation is about changing mindsets. There is nothing to share in losing,” Poroye said.

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He said the committee had received complaints, including allegations that the governor was not carrying party members along in appointments.

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Poroye said the reconciliation process was intended to discourage attacks and factional tendencies within the party.

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“We are shortchanging ourselves if we keep fighting one another. If you contest and the party changes your name, it should not be the end of life. We are appealing to our members that reconciliation is possible,” he said.

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The Chief of Staff to the governor, Olusegun Omojuwa, commended Aiyedatiwa for embracing reconciliation, saying taking the process to the grassroots would strengthen the party.

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“I want to thank the Governor of Ondo State for believing in peace. This is what can really move our state forward,” Omojuwa said.

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He urged party members and leaders to cooperate with the reconciliation committee, saying extending the structure to the local government areas would help deepen the process.

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The Chairman of Idanre Local Government, Smart Omotadowa, said grassroots unity was key to the success of the initiative and urged members to support APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

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“The best way to make the reconciliation process work is to take it to the grassroots level. There is no way we can have it better than to work in unity,” he said.

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Omotadowa urged APC members across the 18 local government areas to support the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections and work together.

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A member of the committee, Erelu Mudupola Martins, warned that unresolved grievances could affect the party’s prospects, stressing the need for members to close ranks.

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“There is no second in any election. We can’t afford to lose any position to the opposition,” Martins said.

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She urged party members to support the reconciliation initiative and ensure that the process reached loyalists at the grassroots.

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Martins said the party must “come together and close ranks” ahead of the 2027 elections.

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She added that the APC was seeking to improve on its 2023 performance, saying, “We gave Tinubu 68 per cent in 2023; we want to do more than that in 2027.”

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