AKURE — A political support group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT), has openly rejected Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s directive to dissolve all independent support groups mobilising for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, calling the move unnecessary and misleading.
While the governor recently ordered all pro-Tinubu groups in the state to collapse into a single party-controlled structure for better coordination, GMT insists it will maintain its independent identity and national outlook.
In a statement issued by the Director of Media for GMT in Ondo State, Ojo Oyewamide, the group acknowledged the governor’s intention to foster unity ahead of upcoming elections but maintained that the existence of multiple support formations is a strategic asset — not a liability.
“We have noted with concern the efforts by some individuals to twist the outcomes of the caucus meeting, suggesting that all support groups working for President Tinubu must collapse into a single structure within the state,” Oyewamide said.
He stressed that GMT is not a creation of Ondo State politics but a national organisation with presence in all 36 states and the FCT.
Recalling past elections, Oyewamide highlighted how multiple grassroots groups played key roles in the APC’s sweeping victories.
“During the last governorship election in Ondo State, several groups including LACO-FS, the O Datiwa Group, Lucky Disciples, Partners with Lucky, and O Datiwa Ladies worked in synergy with the party to deliver a resounding 18–0 victory,” he noted.
He further referenced the administration of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, under whom dynamic support structures such as Aketi Mandate Group, Team Aketi, Ajapada, Ibi Giga Ambassadors, and Ibi Giga Initiatives helped drive the party’s electoral success.
The GMT media director called on members to disregard any attempt to collapse their structure, insisting the strength of the APC lies in its diversity of grassroots mobilisers.
The development has sparked tension within the Ondo APC as internal coordination efforts ahead of the 2024 governorship poll continue to face resistance from entrenched interest blocs.
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