We Don’t Need A Coalition”: Ondo APC Elders Reject Rainbow Coalition, Target One Million Votes For Tinubu

Elders of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State have rejected a coalition arrangement with other political parties to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, insisting that the party is strong enough to secure victory in the state without sacrificing its own candidates.

The decision was announced at a meeting of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum in Akure, where the group also set a target of at least one million votes for Tinubu and an 80 per cent voter turnout, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE REJECTION

The elders, under the aegis of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, distanced themselves from the proposed Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party platform reportedly formed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to support Tinubu’s re-election while allowing participating parties to contest local positions.

Chairman of the Forum, Dr Demola Ijabiyi, said the APC’s dominance in Ondo made any arrangement requiring it to surrender candidates or constituencies unnecessary.

“We recognise the value of cooperation among political parties pursuing a common objective. However, the circumstances of each state must determine the form such cooperation takes,” Ijabiyi said.

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“In Ondo State, the APC is the dominant political party, controlling government at both the state and local government levels. We therefore see no justification for any coalition arrangement that requires us to sacrifice our candidates or surrender constituencies in exchange for support for President Tinubu”.

He added: “We warmly invite other political parties to endorse and support the President’s re-election. Our doors are open to all who share our conviction that his administration should consolidate its reforms and development agenda. However, support for the President need not depend on displacing APC candidates. We have confidence in our candidates and their prospects of victory”.

THE TARGET

Ijabiyi said the Forum was working towards extending its structures to every ward and polling unit to mobilise voters and secure victory for Tinubu and all APC candidates.

He said Ondo State’s more than two million registered voters ahead of the 2027 governorship election presented a significant electoral opportunity, adding that the challenge was to translate the figure into actual voter participation.

“We have therefore set a voter turnout target of at least 80 per cent. The PMF will work towards this through sustained mobilisation and voter education,” he said. “Alongside this, we must earn sufficient support to deliver at least one million votes for the President”.

THe CALL TO CANDIDATES

The Forum chairman urged APC National and State Assembly candidates to intensify their campaigns, identify areas of weak mobilisation and work with local party leaders to strengthen support at the polling-unit level.

“They must add the full weight of their personal campaigns to this collective effort. Their participation must reach the polling units. Every candidate should know the strength of the party in each unit within the constituency, identify gaps in mobilisation and work with local leaders to address them,” he said.

He also appealed to women and youths in the party to begin door-to-door campaigns to help the President secure more than the targeted one million votes in the state.

WHY IT MATTERS

The Ondo APC elders’ rejection of the Rainbow Coalition is a significant blow to Wike’s cross-party strategy.

The coalition was designed to bring opposition parties into Tinubu’s camp by offering them a share of the electoral pie.

But in Ondo, the APC elders are saying they do not need the coalition, and they are not willing to give up any of their candidates to secure it.

For Wike, the rejection signals that his coalition plan may face resistance in states where the APC is strong.

For Tinubu, it is a reminder that his re-election campaign will be built on the party’s own structures, not on alliances with outsiders.

The target has been set. The campaign has begun. And Ondo is ready to deliver for the President. ValidViewNetwork reports.