There’s been a bit of a stir within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State lately. It all started when Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa made a move to dissolve all independent campaign groups supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. The idea seemed to be to bring everyone under one party-controlled platform, maybe to streamline efforts or tighten control. But not everyone was on board with that.
The Push for Unified Campaigns—Or Is It?
Governor Aiyedatiwa argued that a single leadership for all campaign groups would create unity, which sounds, well, reasonable on the surface. After all, election campaigns can get messy when too many groups pull in different directions. But the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT), a major APC support faction, pushed back hard.
Ojo Oyewamide, the media director for GMT in Ondo, basically said, “Hold on, this isn’t just some minor thing — it’s a national organization with branches all over Nigeria.” According to him, GMT predates much of the current state politics and has its own established structure. So, telling them to fold into a single state-controlled group felt like an erasure of their identity and contribution.
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I think Oyewamide’s point is worth thinking about. On one hand, having many groups might seem chaotic, but on the other, politicians often rely on these smaller, passionate groups for grassroots energy and votes. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about relationships, networks, and history.
A History of Diverse Groups Working Together
Looking back at recent elections in Ondo State, multiple campaign groups have worked alongside the APC to bring in wins. Oyewamide reminded people of the last governorship election, where several distinct groups like LACO-FS, the O Datiwa Group, Lucky Disciples, and others came together to achieve a sweeping victory—18 out of 18 seats won, which is no small feat.
Similarly, during Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s time, various vibrant groups also boosted the party’s chances. Names like Aketi Mandate Group and Ibi Giga Ambassadors might not be household names, but they clearly played a role in the party’s success.
So, it’s not surprising that GMT and others feel that their diverse forms of support shouldn’t just be wiped away or collapsed into one neat package. It’s as if, by trying to simplify the campaign machinery, some crucial relationships and local dynamics might be lost or ignored.
That said, maybe there’s some truth in Aiyedatiwa’s call for unified leadership. Campaigns can become unwieldy with too many voices or conflicting agendas, which might ultimately hurt rather than help. Yet, how to balance that without smothering the grassroots energy? That’s the real puzzle.
The Politics Behind the Scenes
One thing that caught my attention was how Aiyedatiwa himself came to power. Various APC support groups backed him during the run-up to the 2024 governorship elections in Ondo. So, he’s no stranger to these support networks. Yet, here he is, trying to fold them into a single structure now. Maybe it’s a calculated move aiming for efficiency—or maybe there’s internal party politics we’re not seeing, some jockeying for influence or control that happens behind closed doors.
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Oyewamide’s insistence that members should “disregard the purported move” suggests there’s some internal tension brewing, perhaps even a power struggle. Sometimes, these things get messy and don’t follow a straightforward logic.
Honestly, this dance between party unity and grassroots independence is not unique to Nigeria or even Ondo State. Political parties everywhere wrestle with how much control to exert versus how much freedom to grant their local factions.
Wrapping Up the Scene
At the end of the day, the APC in Ondo seems to be at a crossroads. Should it centralize campaign efforts for the sake of order, or should it celebrate the messy, diverse, and sometimes chaotic energy of multiple independent groups?
Each path has trade-offs. The governor’s plan might bring more order but risks alienating the grassroots groups that really bring the votes. The support groups’ resistance shows just how important local networks remain, even in an era where centralized campaign machinery often dominates.
I suppose, then, this story is about more than just Tinubu’s campaign. It’s a look at politics at the intersection of control and collaboration, ambition and grassroots loyalty. A tense but telling glimpse of how democracy actually happens on the ground—not always neat, sometimes awkward, but always real.
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