Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State says his administration will work to deliver what he described as “massive votes” for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Aiyedatiwa made the pledge on Friday, 21 August, when he received leaders of the Ondo State chapter of the City Boy Movement, a pro-Tinubu political group, at the Governor’s Office in Akure.
The group asked for the governor’s support for its grassroots mobilisation activities ahead of the election.
The governor said Ondo State had already declared its support for Tinubu’s re-election under the slogan “Ondo For Tinubu 2027”.
He also said the state government would support groups campaigning for the president’s re-election.
“Our people are seeing and feeling the impact of good governance.
From road projects to health, education, and empowerment, we are building a foundation that makes it easy to sell the Renewed Hope message in Ondo State.
“Every action we take that impact the people positively is a vote for the president. Every of the 6,000 jobs we have created is a vote for the president.
Every road we build attract votes for the president.
Every political appointment we make has multiplier effects that translate to more votes for the president.
“The President’s vision aligns with what we are doing here, and our people will reward that with their votes in 2027,” the governor said.
The governor did not provide details in the statement about the 6,000 jobs he said his administration had created, including when they were created, the sectors involved or how the figure was calculated.
That distinction matters because the claim forms part of the political argument the governor is making for Tinubu's re-election.
Why Ondo matters to Tinubu
Ondo was a stronghold for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.
INEC results show that Tinubu won the state with 369,924 votes, ahead of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, who received 115,463 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party polled 47,350.
The result gave Tinubu a substantial lead in the state, with the APC candidate winning across all 18 local government areas.
Aiyedatiwa's latest pledge therefore seeks to preserve, and potentially increase, the APC's advantage in a state that already delivered a large bloc of votes to Tinubu in 2023.
But votes are ultimately decided by voters, rather than political endorsements or government declarations.
What is the City Boy Movement promising?
The delegation was led by state coordinators Oluwafemi Ayejusunle and Tomide Akinribido.
They told the governor about the group's structure and grassroots mobilisation activities and sought collaboration with the state government.
Ayejusunle said the group would intensify its grassroots sensitisation campaign to secure support for Tinubu and the APC in 2027.
The governor welcomed the group and praised its support for the APC and Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said all support groups working for the president's re-election in Ondo would receive the necessary backing from his administration.
Election timetable already under way
The mobilisation comes as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general election.INEC released its timetable for the election in February.
It initially fixed 20 February 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections, followed by the governorship and state assembly elections on 6 March.
The electoral process is therefore no longer a distant political discussion.
Political parties and their support organisations have begun positioning themselves ahead of the contest.
INEC has also warned that the integrity of the voters' register remains crucial and said it would undertake a voter revalidation exercise ahead of the election.
Also Read: Ondo Governor Signs New Electricity Law, Creates State Power Regulator
Government projects and political support
Aiyedatiwa's argument links government projects, employment and political appointments to electoral support for Tinubu.
That approach raises an important question about the boundary between governing and campaigning.
The Electoral Act 2022 states that state apparatus should not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of a political party or candidate at an election.
The governor's statement does not establish that any law has been breached.
But his pledge to use government achievements and support political groups makes the separation between state activities and partisan campaigning an issue that will merit scrutiny as the election approaches.
That scrutiny will be particularly important if public resources, government personnel or official programmes become directly involved in campaign activities.
Aiyedatiwa's wider employment push
The governor has previously linked his administration to employment opportunities for young people.
In June, the Ondo government announced plans to recruit 1,000 young people into the State Forest Guard as part of a security initiative.
The government also announced in March that Aiyedatiwa planned to appoint about 1,000 political aides across the state's 203 wards and 18 local government areas.
Those measures provide some context for the governor's emphasis on employment and political appointments, although they do not independently verify his latest claim of 6,000 jobs.
What happens next?
For Ondo voters, the key issue will be whether the government's record translates into electoral support.
The APC will also need to persuade voters that its performance justifies another mandate, while opposition parties will seek to challenge that argument and make their own case.
The City Boy Movement says it will deepen grassroots mobilisation.
The governor says his administration will support such groups.
The eventual test, however, will come at the ballot box.
