…AS SHETTIMA, APC GOVERNORS, MINISTERS STORM AKURE FOR WEDNESDAY’S PRESIDENTIAL RALLY

…WE WILL SURPASS 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RECORD – OLABIMTAN

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has expressed confidence in its ability to deliver a record-breaking victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, declaring its readiness to surpass the performance recorded in the 2023 presidential poll.

The party says it is targeting an improved electoral outing, having recorded the highest winning margin percentage in the country during the 2023 presidential election.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima will lead APC governors, ministers, members of the National Assembly, national party leaders and other political heavyweights to Akure on Wednesday for the party’s presidential campaign rally.

The Director-General of the Ondo State APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, disclosed this on Tuesday at a press conference held at the NUJ Press Centre, Akure.

Olabimtan said the rally, scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Akure Township Stadium, would demonstrate the party’s organisational strength and commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

He said the APC was determined to surpass its 2023 electoral achievement, stressing that the previous victory was a benchmark the party was prepared to improve upon.

According to him, unity, discipline, effective coordination, strategic communication and active participation of members would be crucial to achieving the party’s ambition.

Olabimtan said the campaign council had activated its mobilisation structures across the 18 local government areas under the leadership of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to ensure an impressive turnout.

He called on party leaders, stakeholders and members to put aside personal interests and work collectively towards the success of the 2027 elections.

The APC chieftain said the rally would also provide an opportunity for the people of Ondo State to demonstrate solidarity with President Tinubu and reaffirm their confidence in his Renewed Hope agenda.

Highlighting the benefits of the Federal Government’s interventions in the state, Olabimtan acknowledged that some economic reforms had brought temporary difficulties but maintained that the policies were necessary to address structural challenges, strengthen public finances and reposition the economy.

He described the appointment of three substantive ministers from Ondo State into the Federal Executive Council as a significant achievement, naming Professor Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior; and Ayodele Olawande Wisdom, Minister of Youth Development.

On infrastructure, he identified the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, renewed attention to the Olokola Deep Seaport, expansion and reconstruction of the Ore-Ondo-Akure Road and the dualisation of the Ilesha-Akure-Owo-Benin Road as major projects expected to boost economic activities in the state.

He also described the approval and commencement of the FUTA Teaching Hospital as a significant intervention that would strengthen healthcare delivery, medical training and research, while creating employment opportunities.

The proposed Aviation College, student financing initiatives and Federal Government social investment programmes were also highlighted as interventions capable of expanding opportunities for residents, particularly young people.

Olabimtan commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for strengthening the party through internal cohesion, grassroots mobilisation and effective coordination.

He said the campaign council would sustain engagements across wards and local government areas beyond Wednesday’s rally, insisting that the mobilisation exercise was only the beginning of a sustained campaign.

He declared that the party’s objective was to deliver Ondo State for President Tinubu and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Olabimtan urged party members and supporters to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly, adding that the rally would be one of the most organised political gatherings in the history of the state.

He assured the Vice-President and other national party leaders of the APC’s readiness to host a successful, peaceful and memorable rally.