Ebiseni Declares Support for Tinubu’s Re-election, Moves to APC
The Secretary-General of the pan-Yoruba sociocultural organisation, Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, has declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid and indicated his readiness to work with the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ebiseni, a former chieftain of the Labour Party and South-West Coordinator of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 elections, made the declaration when he met with Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa at the Government House in Akure on Thursday.
The meeting was also attended by the APC Chairman in Ondo State, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde.
Aiyedatiwa assured Ebiseni and his supporters that they would be integrated into the APC campaign structure ahead of the elections.
The governor said Ebiseni’s political experience, including his tenure as chairman of the former Ilaje-Ese-Odo Local Government and his service as a commissioner in the state, would be useful to the party’s campaign.
He also cited Ebiseni’s position as Secretary-General of Afenifere and his involvement in other sociocultural organisations as factors that could contribute to the campaign.
“We know you as one of our leaders in the state and your political activities across the state and your roles in the Afenifere and other sociocultural Organisations in the country will be an added advantage and value to tasks ahead of us,” Aiyedatiwa said.
The governor explained that the presence of the APC state chairman at the meeting was intended to assure Ebiseni and his supporters of their integration into the party’s campaign structure for the various elections.
Why Ebiseni Backed Tinubu
In his remarks, Ebiseni said his decision to support Tinubu’s second-term bid was based partly on his view that the presidency should remain in Southern Nigeria in the interest of political stability.
“First and foremost and for the avoidance of any doubt, our declaration today for the President’s second term is in tandem with the views of most Nigerians and political gladiators that the office of the President should still be in southern Nigeria in the interest of the political stability of the federation,” he said.
He acknowledged that Tinubu was not the only presidential aspirant from the South but argued that the President’s existing policies and programmes provided a basis for continuity.
According to Ebiseni, a second term would allow the administration to consolidate policies already introduced rather than begin another four-year cycle with a new president and new policies.
He particularly defended the removal of fuel subsidy, saying its continued retention would have placed additional pressure on states that were already struggling to meet their responsibilities.
Ebiseni also cited proposed state police and the expansion of Nigerian Army divisions from eight to 12 among measures he said required time to produce their intended benefits.
Coastal Highway
Ebiseni further highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as a major project for the Ilaje coastal communities of Ondo State.
“Politics is local and as a leader of my Ilaje coastal people of Ondo State, this road is the most significant life-changing project for us and I am here to join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its full implementation particularly its proper coastal alignment in the state,” he said.
He added that the project was one of the reasons for his decision to support the President’s re-election bid.
“To us therefore whom much is given by the President, much more is expected in terms of support for his re-election,” Ebiseni said.
The development marks a shift from Ebiseni’s previous political alignment with the Labour Party, where he played a prominent role in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign in the South-West.
