No official court order to stop congress – Kekemeke
Governor of Ondo State, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, and top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state on Monday dismissed claims of crisis within the party, insisting that the state chapter is not at war as it prepares for its state CONGRESS, holding on Tuesday.
Addressing stakeholders and party members at a meeting ahead of the exercise at the APC state secretariat in Akure, the Governor said the impression of tension within the party was largely fuelled by social media narratives, stressing that the reality on the ground shows a peaceful and united chapter.
Governor Aiyedatiwa commended members of the APC State Congress Committee who had earlier conducted the ward and local government congresses, acknowledging that while the ward congress initially posed challenges due to the number of wards, the issues were resolved and the process ended successfully.
According to him, the local government congress recorded even greater improvement, and he expressed confidence that the state congress would surpass previous exercises in terms of orderliness and success.
The Governor said disagreements and competing interests were normal in any human setting, including within families, but maintained that such differences should not be interpreted as conflict. “We are not at war,” he reiterated, assuring committee members and delegates of their safety and protection during the exercise.
He also reaffirmed the party’s long-standing culture of consensus in electing its executives since 2014, aligning the state chapter’s approach with the leadership philosophy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as a strong believer in orderliness, ranking and party leadership.
Also addressing stakeholders, the South-West National Vice Chairman of the APC, Dr. Isaac Kekemeke, said the gathering reflected fair representation of the party’s leadership across the 18 local government areas, including those in and outside government.
Kekemeke said the culture of consensus had defined the APC in Ondo since its formation in 2014. He recalled that in 2014 only the office of chairman was contested and that even his opponent later became his deputy, while other positions were filled by consensus.
He said similar approaches were adopted in 2018 and 2022, adding that the party had never elected its executives through ballot voting in the state since inception.
Kekemeke urged members of the National Working Committee panels to disregard social media reports suggesting crisis in the state chapter, maintaining that disagreements were natural in party politics due to personal aspirations but should not be elevated to conflict.
According to him, there could only be one leader at a time in the state, identifying the governor as the party leader. He also addressed rumours about his relationship with Governor Aiyedatiwa, saying his support for the governor was not based on personal gain and citing past political contests, including his own against the governor in 2024, as evidence that differences should not amount to hostility.
Speaking on the fallout of a court order to stop Tuesday’s congress, he said the party was not relying on any social media court order, noting that the national secretariat had yet to give any directive regarding the alleged order.
Earlier, Chairman of the APC State Congress Committee, Comrade Ogonna Obiekwe, said the committee was in the state to conduct the congress that would produce 36 working committee members to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.
He described the assignment as serious business and assured party members that the committee was committed to conducting a free, fair and credible congress of which all party members would be proud.
Obiekwe said the process would be guided by the party’s constitution, the 2026 Electoral Act, as amended, the party’s guidelines and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The committee’s Secretary, Hon. Shittu Bamayi, outlined the modalities for the congress, stating that accreditation of delegates would commence at 8 a.m. at designated centres.
He said delegates must present their party membership slips and that accreditation would be conducted on a local government basis across the 18 councils.
He added that the congress would be conducted through a voice vote under a consensus arrangement and assured of the committee’s impartiality and strict adherence to the party constitution and the Electoral Act.
In their goodwill messages, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji, as well as party chieftains, Dr. Tunji Abayomi,l and Princess Omowunmi Olatunji-Ohwovoriole, commended the various Congress Committees for their efforts so far and urged party members to embrace the final outcome of Tuesday’s congress.
Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
February 2, 2026.