Elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, operating under the banner of the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, have voiced strong dissatisfaction with the conduct of the party’s recent ward congress, describing the exercise as divisive and marred by violence.
The congress, held across the state, was reportedly disrupted in parts of Idanre Local Government Area, where suspected hoodlums allegedly attacked party members. Several individuals sustained injuries, and vehicles were set ablaze during the unrest.
Among those reportedly attacked was the brother of the state APC chairman, Raphael Adetimehin, who was said to have been brutally assaulted in his ward by suspected political thugs.
Despite the incidents, the ward congress committee led by Margaret Araruenu declared the exercise successful.
Elders Decry ‘Parallel Congresses’
Speaking at the forum’s monthly meeting in Akure on Wednesday, the group’s facilitator, Ademola Ijabiyi, lamented that the crisis had deepened divisions within the party.
He said the elders had formally written to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to intervene and prevent lasting damage to the party’s unity in the state.
“We are basically here to advance the cause of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, and therefore anything that can affect it, we have to address it,” Ijabiyi stated. “We cannot ignore what happened in our ward congress, where we had parallel congresses in most of the wards.”
He added that a memo had already been forwarded to the President detailing the situation and proposing steps to resolve the dispute.
“We expect that the President will do something to address the situation in Ondo State so as not to create a permanent division within the party. But right now, that’s what the ward congress has created — that division,” he said.
Ijabiyi further suggested that some individuals were being imposed as leaders, a development he said had unsettled party members. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the President, as national leader of the APC, would act decisively on the matter.
Rift Speculations and Health Outreach
Addressing rumours of a rift between Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Ijabiyi said the elders were not aware of any conflict between the two leaders.
“As far as we elders are concerned, we are not aware of any fight. If you ask the minister, he will say there is nothing between him and the governor,” he noted, adding that the fallout from the ward congress had nonetheless exposed internal fractures within the party.
Also speaking at the meeting, the forum’s Vice Chairman, Olorunnibe Tawose, explained that the gathering included a medical outreach programme for elderly members, sponsored by the Interior Minister.
According to him, participants benefited from health checks including blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and prostate screenings, with medications provided where necessary.
“For today, we have about four health programmes for the elders… After the test, we are going to take care of those with borderline cases,” Tawose said.
The APC elders maintained that restoring unity within the party remains critical ahead of future electoral contests, warning that unresolved grievances from the ward congress could undermine the party’s cohesion in Ondo State.
