Ondo State MANDATE ELDERS FORUM has blamed social media loyalists of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for recent accusations and counter-accusations rocking the party, declaring that the forum now working to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scores 100% votes in the 2027 general election.
The Elders said they may invite the two gladiators to a meeting to ensure that the brewing tension in the state chapter of the party is nip in the bud.
The Elders who took the decision on Wednesday September 10th, 2025 during a meeting held at the residence of Chief Akeju at Alagbaka, Akure, said though the two of them don’t have personal differences but their supporters are causing unnecessary tension in the party.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the Facilitator, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi who spoke on behalf of the Leader of the APC Elders, Chief Erastus Akeju, said, “the purpose of this gathering is to foster social-political interaction among elders, to get them involved. We are not allowing them to retire yet, because they have a lot of contributions to make.
On the tension in the party lately, Ijabiyi said there is no recognize discord between Governor Aiyedatiwa and Hon Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, adding that the dispute is only existing on the social media from the imagination of the social media influencers.
He noted that “there is a vacuum of elders in Ondo State. This is the first time we are coming together. Today, things will be different now. Because before now, we had no way, we had no forum for intervening.
“People were coming to us, leaders, elders, what are you doing? It is now that we have a forum that can attack all these problems. When I heard of what (Mr Lasisi) Oluboyo did, I called him; And, of course, in that way, I issued a statement to the social media, calling for a ceasefire. And all the media men of BTO who are spoiling for the showdown with Oluboyo, I called them, no more war, Ceasefire now.
“And I called BTO. I said, enough of that. I said, once elders have intervened, that must stop. It is a storm in the teacup. From personal intervention, I think that one has come to an end. That is the essence of leadership. That is the essence of this.
“So, that is why we have come. Now that we have elders forum, I mean, things will start happening. Wherever we need to intervene, we will intervene. We won’t allow all these rumours to fester to the point of crisis.
“At this Elders forum, we have said it here today, that if the need arises, we bring the Governor (Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa) here. He is our governor, and we are his leaders and Elders. So, the same thing applies to the Minister, even the youths. If there is any group of youth that are causing trouble, we will call them to order. That is why we are called leadership.
“That is what we call elders. I think I have said it here. The other time, when I had something that needed my attention, to contact the governor, I said it to him. And within five minutes, he phoned me back to explain exactly what happened. That is the role of an elder. We can work together, we can form a unit. we can become an interest group, we can become a support group. That is what all segments of the party are involved in.”
Ijabiyi said the APC Elders commended President Tinubu for key appointments and projects got by Ondo State under his administration.
“We have to have a central forum, and then promote the interests of our party in this state, make sure that there is cohesion, and whenever there is crisis, we troubleshoot and resolve the crisis. Then, and very significantly, we want to have a forum where the elders can also form a support group for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because we have a purpose, we have a target in Ondo State.
“During the last election, we were boasting that we scored 60-something percent, but we are not interested in that percentage. We are interested in absolute figures.
“We have more than 1.9million registered voters in Ondo State. So, why can’t we deliver even more than one million votes for Tinubu? So, we want absolute figures. Ondo State is one of the catchment areas of President Tinubu. That is his own base. We all love him in Ondo State. So, what we require, what we need to do, is to mobilize.
“The goodwill is there, the support is there. Just mobilize it. Make sure that people come out and vote. People have registered. We have close to two million now in Ondo State. How do we get them out? How do we get them to deliver to Tinubu? That is the purpose of this group.
Some of the APC elders who attended the meeting included; Chief Erastus Akeju – Chairman; Hon. Demola Ijabiyi – Facilitator; retired Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi former Ondo State Chief Judge; former Ondo SSG, Princess Oladunni Odu; Pastor Femi Agagu; Chief Bailey Arohunmolase; Hon. Ebenezer Alabi; Chief Korede Duyile; Chief Femi Bakare; Senator Yele Omogunwa; Chief Olabisi Johnson; Princess Bukky Abike Oluderu; Rt Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin; Rt Hon. Samuel Aderoboye; Hon. Nimbe Tawose, among others.
