Concerns mount as APC failed to present party’s flags to candidates at Ondo rally

The failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to present its National and State Assembly candidates at Wednesday’s presidential campaign rally for President Bola Tinubu in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has heightened concerns about deepening divisions within the party in the state.

The omission has triggered speculation about the level of cohesion within the Ondo APC, particularly against the backdrop of lingering disagreements arising from the party’s primaries and the emergence of the Rainbow Coalition.

The development was particularly noticeable as the APC had presented its candidates to voters in other states, including Rivers, Ebonyi, Cross River and Ekiti, where candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly elections were publicly recognised.

In Akure, however, the flag presentation ceremony, widely regarded as a symbolic endorsement and formal introduction of candidates as the party’s standard-bearers, was conspicuously absent.

Although the rally attracted a large crowd, with candidates and their supporters adequately represented, none of the party’s 12 National Assembly candidates or 26 Ondo State House of Assembly candidates was publicly presented or handed the party’s flag.

The rally was colourful, featuring campaign banners, branded outfits, drums and enthusiastic supporters. However, there were moments of tension when a group of supporters reportedly became agitated with the musician performing at the event over what they perceived as his failure to acknowledge their candidates while recognising prominent party chieftains.

A party chieftain in Odigbo Local Government Area, Ademokun Folorunsho, expressed concern over the omission, noting that the candidates had attended the rally with their supporters but were not given the recognition accorded to their counterparts in other states.

He also drew attention to the invitation extended to D.I. Kekemeke to offer the Christian opening prayer, noting that despite his presence, he was not introduced as the APC candidate for Ondo South Senatorial District.

“Another detail worth mentioning was the invitation of Hon. D.I. Kekemeke to offer the Christian opening prayer. However, he was not introduced as the APC candidate for the Ondo South Senatorial District,” he observed.

According to Mr Folorunsho, the development raises questions about the political direction of the APC in Ondo State, particularly regarding its National Assembly contests.

He recalled that the reported absence of some candidates from the inauguration of the Ondo State Presidential Campaign Council at The Dome, Akure, had earlier generated concerns about the extent of cooperation among party members.

While cautioning against drawing definitive conclusions from the rally, Mr Folorunsho argued that the failure to present the candidates could suggest that the National Assembly contests remained politically unsettled.

“While it may be premature to draw a definitive conclusion from the ceremony alone, one possible interpretation is that the National Assembly contests in Ondo State remain open, with no public endorsement or presentation of any candidate as the party’s preferred candidate at the rally. And this presents hope for the Rainbow Coalition in Ondo State,” he said.

“For now, the absence of flag presentation has left room for speculation. The rally has not communicated a clear political direction. It has been established that the NASS contest is open to everyone.

“Only President Tinubu will get one million votes, but the remaining candidates must contest on their personality and credibility in Ondo State.”

The concerns over the party’s internal divisions were also reflected in the speeches of prominent APC leaders at the rally.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, appealed to party leaders in Ondo State to set aside their political differences, particularly those arising from the party’s primaries, and work together to secure the votes needed for President Tinubu’s re-election.

Similarly, the Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, expressed concern about the divisions within the Ondo APC, warning that the party’s ability to deliver its promised one million votes for the president could be undermined if its members failed to unite.

A former governorship aspirant and APC chieftain, Olusola Oke, however, expressed confidence that party members in the state would overcome their differences and rally behind President Tinubu.

The speeches at the rally suggested a willingness among party leaders to close ranks for the purpose of securing victory for the president, although questions remain about whether the apparent unity will extend to the National and State Assembly contests.

Reacting to the concerns, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, said the responsibility of determining the order of activities at the rally rested with the Presidential Campaign Council and not the state chapter of the APC.

He said he was unaware that candidates had been presented or handed party flags at the event, explaining that the rally was primarily organised to advance the president’s campaign.

“I can assure you that the APC leaders in the state will be united in the canvassing of votes for the President,” he said.

Mr Ajanaku, however, acknowledged that the influence of the Rainbow Coalition could affect the party’s fortunes in some State Assembly constituencies, conceding that some seats might be won by candidates of other political parties.

The APC Director of Publicity in Ondo State, Steve Otaloro, also dismissed suggestions that the omission was targeted at any candidate or group within the party.

According to him, the rally was specifically organised to flag off President Tinubu’s campaign, while the tight schedule of national party leaders made it impossible to accommodate the presentation of other candidates.

“We had no time for the presentation of candidates because the national leaders were to leave for Abuja that same day,” Mr Otaloro said.

READ ALSO: APC condemns attacks on political gatherings, calls for arrest of perpetrators 

He assured that the opportunity would be provided at the zonal campaign flag-off, where Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa would make efforts to present the party’s candidates to the electorate.

Mr Otaloro attributed the suspicions surrounding the omission to existing divisions within the party, alleging that some individuals were attempting to challenge the leadership of the APC in the state and its relationship with the state government.

With the presidential campaign now underway, the challenge before the Ondo APC appears to extend beyond mobilising voters for Tinubu. The party must also address lingering grievances among its members and establish a common political direction ahead of the National and State Assembly elections.

Whether the promised unity will translate into collective support for all APC candidates or remain limited to the presidential contest is a question that the party’s subsequent campaign activities may answer.