Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has dismissed reports of a political rift between him and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, saying both leaders remain committed members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said there is no conflict between them and described suggestions of a division within the ruling party in the state as false.
Aiyedatiwa spoke during an interview on the television programme Politics Today on Channels Television.
According to him, politics often involves different interests among leaders and supporters, but that does not mean there is a crisis within the party.
During the interview, Aiyedatiwa said he has no personal issue with Tunji-Ojo and believes the minister would say the same if asked.
“The young man you mentioned, the Honourable Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, I don’t have any issue with him,” the governor said.
“If you ask him, he will tell you the same thing. Politics is filled with different interests. Different people have different interests. There is no fight and no division. We are members of the same family in the APC.”
The governor said it is normal for politicians and their supporters to have different preferences within the same party.
However, he insisted that such differences should not be mistaken for personal conflict.
Aiyedatiwa explained that both he and the interior minister occupy different positions in government and operate at different levels of leadership.
According to him, Tunji-Ojo works mainly in the federal capital and carries out his duties as a minister from Abuja.
“I don’t have anything to do with the minister in terms of daily work,” he said.
“He lives in Abuja and works in Abuja, while I am here running the state government. But we are working together as members of the same party.”
He added that leadership exists at many levels within the political system.
The governor said that while he serves as a state governor, Tunji-Ojo is also a leader in his own right because he is a minister of the Federal Republic.
“BTO is a leader as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is a level. I am a governor, and that is another level of leadership,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa noted that members of the APC in the state may align with different leaders based on their interests or political preferences.
He said such alignments are common in large political parties and should not be seen as a sign of disunity.
According to him, senators, members of the House of Representatives and members of the State House of Assembly also have their own supporters within the party.
“These leaders have people who believe in them and follow their leadership,” the governor said.
“But we are all part of the same APC structure and we are working together.”
In recent months, there have been speculations in some political circles about possible disagreements among leaders of the APC in Ondo State.
Some observers suggested that tensions may exist between supporters of the governor and those believed to be loyal to the interior minister.
However, Aiyedatiwa said such claims are exaggerated and not based on reality.
He insisted that the APC in Ondo State remains united and focused on governance and development.
The governor also rejected allegations that he is pushing some members out of the party.
He said the APC has grown too large and influential in the state for any individual to force people out.
“The party is so big that you cannot drive people away,” Aiyedatiwa said.
He explained that instead of losing members, the party has continued to attract new supporters and political figures.
As an example of the party’s growing strength, the governor pointed to the recent defection of Agboola Ajayi, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election.
Ajayi contested against Aiyedatiwa during the election but has now joined the APC.
The governor said the defection shows that the ruling party remains attractive to politicians in the state.
According to him, Ajayi received about 150,000 votes during the election, a figure he said would have been enough to win earlier governorship contests in the state.
Aiyedatiwa also highlighted the large number of votes he received in the election, which he said demonstrated strong support from the people of the state.
He said he secured 666,781 votes, which he described as the highest number ever recorded in a governorship election in Ondo State.
“For the fact that I have such figures means I am popular among the people,” he said.
“They wanted me and they preferred me at that time. That is still the situation today.”
The governor said his electoral victory shows that residents of the state have confidence in his leadership.
Another point raised by the governor was the political strength of the APC in the state legislature.
He said that for the first time in the history of the state, all members of the State House of Assembly belong to the ruling party.
The Ondo State House of Assembly has 26 members, and according to Aiyedatiwa, every one of them is an APC member.
“Today, for the first time, all 26 members of the House of Assembly are APC members,” he said.
The governor said this situation has made it easier for the government to work with lawmakers in implementing policies and programs.
Internal divisions within political parties can sometimes weaken leadership and create challenges for governance.
However, Aiyedatiwa insisted that such a situation does not exist in the APC in Ondo State.
He said the party recently held its state congress and members who believe in the leadership structure are part of the local government and state executives.
The governor also described the APC as the strongest political force in the state at the moment.
He said the party remains the most viable political option for residents and political actors.
According to him, the party’s growing membership and control of key political institutions show its strength.
“Nobody can leave the party. Ondo State is APC. There is no alternative,” Aiyedatiwa said.
The governor expressed confidence that the party would continue to grow and remain united despite differences in opinions among members.
For him, such differences are part of normal political life and should not be interpreted as conflict.
“As long as we remain focused on serving the people, the party will remain strong,” he said.
