The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday successfully conducted a fresh state congress following the resolution of internal disagreements among party members.
The new congress came barely a week after the earlier exercise held on March 3, 2026, was cancelled following an order by the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital. After the court’s decision, the national secretariat of the party directed that a new congress be organised.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected state executives, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the exercise was made possible after stakeholders within the party resolved their differences.
Represented by his deputy, Olayide Adelami, the governor described the congress as an important milestone for the party, noting that the smooth conduct of the exercise demonstrated the APC’s resilience despite recent challenges.
According to him, the court order that previously restrained the party from conducting the congress had been vacated, clearing the way for the exercise to proceed.
“The court order has been vacated, so we are free to hold the congress. I want to thank everyone for their cooperation. There is no crisis in the party; we are united,” he said.
The congress was attended by party leaders, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, security operatives, and other stakeholders.
Chairman of the APC State Congress Committee, Ogonna Obiekwe, also congratulated the newly elected executives and party members, describing the congress as a reaffirmation of the party’s commitment to progress, fairness, and unity.
Obiekwe said he was honoured to serve as chairman of the committee, adding that the successful conduct of the congress reflected the party’s democratic strength and its collective determination to build a platform that represents the aspirations of the people.
“As we move forward, we must remember that the future of our party is greater than any individual ambition. Let peace guide our actions, unity shape our decisions, and progress remain our ultimate goal,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, the newly inaugurated state chairman, Babatunde Kolawole, promised that the new leadership would work closely with party elders while harnessing the energy of the youth to strengthen the APC ahead of future elections.
Kolawole expressed confidence that under the leadership of Governor Aiyedatiwa, the party would continue to grow stronger, assuring members that the new executive would build on the governor’s support to move the party forward.
“My duty is simple, to ensure that we work for the party and provide the necessary support to achieve our collective agenda,” he said.
The newly sworn-in state executives include Babatunde Kolawole as Chairman, Olabamidele Olanubi as Deputy Chairman, Alex Kalejaiye as State Secretary, and Olumide Pinpaye as Assistant Secretary.
Others are Oladoyin Adefemi as Organising Secretary, Akinde Vincent as Assistant Organising Secretary, Muyide Kayode as Publicity Secretary, and Oyekan Durojaye as Assistant Publicity Secretary.
Earlier, the Federal High Court had ordered the APC to halt its state congress and also nullified the ward and local government congresses conducted on February 18 and 21 respectively.
In the ex parte order issued by Justice Toyin Adegoke, the court restrained both the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission from proceeding with the congress pending the hearing of a substantive suit.
However, the initial congress went ahead as scheduled, with party officials claiming they were unaware of the court order before the exercise began.
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