* Aiyedatiwa not doing enough unite party By Dayo Johnson Kolade Victor Akinjo was a member of the 8th and 9th House of Representatives representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Constituency, Ondo State, from 2015 to 2023. He was appointed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as Personal Assistant between 2006 and 2007, and later as Special Assistant to the President on Student and Youth Affairs. In this interview, he speaks on the crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo state, the last NASS primaries, the NWC’s decision to overrule outcomes, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s performance, the reconciliation committee, the alleged frosty relationship between the governor and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the proliferation of support groups in the state among others. There is a major crisis within the APC in Ondo State. How do you intend to settle this before the general election? It is a bit of a complex question, and sometimes difficult to unravel. But the reality is that the APC remains a strong political family in Nigeria. The party is led nationally by President Bola Tinubu, who has displayed extraordinary dexterity in management and administration, and remarkable leadership, capacity and inclusiveness. By the organogram of people working with him across party lines, and the number of people he has brought into the party across Nigeria, the party today is a party of anyone’s dream. At the national level, the party is united and positioned to win elections. Do we have that manifesting in the state under the governor, who is supposed to be the representative of Mr. President and the party? Absolutely no. The Governor is supposed to be seen as a governor of all interests. That is what democracy is about. At the state level, that level of inclusiveness and political management is not being replicated. A governor, as the party leader in the state, is expected to be relatable, accessible, inclusive and fair to all stakeholders. Unfortunately, many party members feel excluded. There are complaints about lack of consultation, inadequate patronage, disregard for established party structures, and failure to accommodate those who contributed to the party’s success. From what happened during the primaries, it is evident that not everyone is happy. While I believe there are mechanisms for reconciliation, I can say there is a state of political entropy within the APC in Ondo State. The governor has not demonstrated sufficient capacity to unite all interests within the party. Sincerely, I think there is a state of catastrophe in Ondo State because the leader of the party in the state has not demonstrated enough competence and capacity to unite everybody. What implications could this have for the 2027 elections? There is no doubt that everybody is concerned that Mr. President should return to power to continue with his infrastructural revolution. Nobody is weary. Nobody is too weak to the extent that the President should not return. The party is strong. The party is energized to return the President to power. Everybody is working for the President. The APC remains strong, and members are committed to ensuring the President returns to office to continue his developmental and infrastructure agenda. In the spirit of democracy, everybody will find a way to unite. Again, you don’t want another party to take over government. But it is also good for people to know that these issues exist and we must find ways to reconcile them. Leadership in a democracy requires inclusiveness and participation, not unilateral decision-making. The political system does not make you a lord over anybody. It makes it participatory. Nobody is going to benefit from all these issues because there is no opposition in the state. There is no strong ADC, there is no PDP again. It is just one or two internal commotions and all these issues will be resolved. The governor has set up a reconciliation committee headed by Prince Biyi Poroye. What is your assessment of the committee? Biyi Poroye is a smart guy, a fantastic guy, a political enigma. I have respect for him. I also hope that the Governor allows him to work dexterously in that position. I hope he is granted the authority to carry out his duties as OSOPADEC chairman. Reconciliation itself is a process, and it is usually unending. He knows what to do, and he is already taking responsibility. I saw him meet the governor. I am sure he is going to meet the minister and some other people. His body language speaks about reconciliation. But reconciliation must be genuine and go to the root. You need to look at why people are angry. There is no patronage, no respect. There is information that all of us who were former political office holders are expired and we will be driven away from the state. All this information is scary. Even the commissioners — are they happy? Many of them h
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