TBy Abdullahi Alhassan
High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has called on voters in Ondo State to convert their voting strength into massive electoral support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Tompolo, Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, urged the people of the state to take the lead in supporting Tinubu’s re-election, describing the President as a son of the South-West who deserves the region’s backing.
He made the appeal through the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services, Chief Kestin Pondi, who represented him at the inauguration of local government and ward coordinators of the movement in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday.
The event also featured the deployment of 26 campaign vehicles to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and facilitate the movement’s outreach across communities in the state.
Tompolo urged the coordinators to intensify their engagement with residents and ensure that the President’s policies and achievements were communicated to voters ahead of the election.
“Become ambassadors and translate the two million registered voters to votes,” he said.
He added that the 26 vehicles would enable the movement to reach communities across the state, including remote settlements, as part of its door-to-door campaign.
“We are inaugurating local government and ward coordinators today with 26 vehicles to reach every nook and cranny, including the creeks, to tell the PBAT story,” he said.
Defending the Tinubu administration, Tompolo cited the removal of fuel queues, the payment of salaries and pensions, and the absence of prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as developments the movement should highlight in its campaign.
He urged supporters to communicate these points to the electorate and mobilise votes for the President in 2027.
Tompolo also appealed to voters to reject what he described as misleading narratives from political opponents, calling on them to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) across all elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.
Aiyedatiwa Pledges Support for APC Campaign
Speaking at the inauguration, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa commended the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement for supporting efforts to secure Tinubu’s re-election, declaring the state government’s commitment to the campaign.
Aiyedatiwa praised Tompolo for providing the 26 vehicles, saying the donation would improve the mobility of campaign coordinators, expand grassroots engagement and help address voter apathy.
“Ondo State is for Asiwaju. That’s where we stand. So, let me thank the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement for the donation of these vehicles that would ease mobility and ensure that our coordinators reach every part of this state,” the governor said.
He welcomed support groups willing to mobilise for Tinubu and other APC candidates in the state, stressing that the party expected a coordinated campaign in support of its candidates across the electoral field.
The governor also assured the movement of the state government’s support and necessary security arrangements for its activities.
“We will continue to welcome all support groups in support of the President and all APC candidates in the state. Any support group that is not for all our candidates would not be welcomed here,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa added that the government would provide the necessary backing to sustain the mobilisation effort.
Movement Challenges Opposition Over Tinubu’s Policies
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Hon. Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, urged Ondo residents to scrutinise the records of opposition parties and demand explanations for the country’s prevailing economic and social challenges.
Asuku argued that some opposition figures had occupied positions of authority for extended periods and should be held accountable for their records in office.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms were difficult but necessary decisions aimed at achieving long-term national development.
The national coordinator also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), urging students in Ondo State and across the country to support the continuation of the scheme, which provides financial assistance to eligible students.
He called on voters to consider the implications of the 2027 election for the continuity of government policies and educational support programmes.
Ondo APC Targets One Million Votes for Tinubu
Also speaking, the Ondo State Chairman of the APC, Kolawole Babatunde, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for supporting grassroots coordinators and strengthening the party’s mobilisation structures across the state.
Babatunde said the state government had continued to commit resources towards Tinubu’s re-election and the electoral success of other APC candidates.
He expressed confidence in the party’s mobilisation capacity, assuring that Ondo State would deliver at least one million votes for the President in the 2027 election.
The inauguration of the coordinators and deployment of campaign vehicles mark an intensification of grassroots political mobilisation in Ondo State ahead of the next general elections.
