….As PBAT Door-to-Door Movement inaugurates Ondo State chapter, unveils 26 campaign vehicles
By Tolulope Eniola
The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement on Tuesday inaugurated its Ondo State chapter and unveiled 26 campaign vehicles for grassroots mobilisation across the state’s 26 constituencies ahead of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
This is just as Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, endorsed the efforts for Tinubu’s re-election, describing the president as a phenomenon and commending his economic reforms, infrastructure projects and student loan scheme.
Governor Aiyedatiwa spoke during the delegation’s visits to the Government House, Oba’s Council Secretariat and Democracy Park. The delegation was led by Chief Kestin Ebimorbowei Pondi, who represented the movement’s convener and Director-General, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo.
The governor commended the movement for extending its mobilisation from Delta State, the convener’s home state, to all 36 states of the federation. He said its grassroots approach would tackle voter apathy by familiarising Nigerians with Tinubu and the APC before election day.
“As someone who is also a grassroots politician, door-to-door campaigning has a way of making people aware of what is happening, and on election day they will come out because the name of Mr President will not be new to them,” he said.
Governor Aiyedatiwa backed the movement’s commendation of Tinubu, citing his courage, economic reforms and infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway.
He also praised the student loan scheme, saying it would widen access to university education and promote human capital development.
“When a nation is fully educated, you have delivered that nation from poverty and ignorance,” he said.
The governor attributed his administration’s capacity to execute infrastructure projects partly to the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly fuel subsidy removal, which he said had increased the funds available to states for development.
He stressed that Nigeria’s development must extend beyond Abuja to all 36 states, adding that Ondo had embraced all support groups working for Tinubu’s re-election.
The governor, however, said the state government has its own mobilisation machinery, comprising party structures, local government and Local Council Development Area structures, transport workers and artisans, to complement the movement’s efforts.
He commended the group for providing 26 buses for the state’s 26 constituencies, saying the gesture would facilitate grassroots mobilisation, and assured its coordinators of the government’s support.
He said the president’s ability to build alliances remains significant, noting that different political parties and support groups are now backing his re-election.
He said the structure comprised local government officials, state and local government employees, as well as traditional institutions, and was spread across the nooks and crannies of the state.
The governor said the government is open to all support groups willing to join the campaign for Tinubu and other APC candidates contesting for seats in the Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly.
He assured the groups of an enabling environment to campaign across the state, including adequate security.
In his welcome address, Pondi, the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, said the 26 vehicles would take the campaign to homes, churches, mosques, markets and creeks across the state.
He said the movement aims to educate residents on why they should vote for Tinubu on January 16, 2027, and challenged members to secure more than one million votes for the president in Ondo State.
In his remarks, the State APC Chairman, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde, said the party has structures on the ground to deliver massive votes for Tinubu.
He urged party faithful to mobilise support and intensify campaigns for the president ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also speaking, the movement’s National Coordinator, Comrade Sunday Asuko, described Tinubu as the best option for Nigeria and urged Nigerians to re-elect him in January 2027.
He advised voters to demand records of achievement from opposition politicians seeking to replace the current leadership.
Asuko also called on Nigerians to vote for all APC candidates in the 2027 elections, from top to bottom.
Earlier at the Council of Obas secretariat, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, assured Tinubu of Ondo State’s support, saying the president is their son and deserves their backing.
He commended the Aiyedatiwa’s administration for its efforts to improve public welfare and described fuel subsidy removal as a necessary and positive reform that had made more resources available to state governments for development without depending on the Federal Government.
Those in attendance included the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; members of the Ondo State House of Assembly; Director-General of the 2027 Presidential Election Campaign Council in Ondo State, Rt Hon Victor Olabimtan; and Director-General of OSRC Media Group, Mr Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson.
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