By Damilola Isaiah, Akure
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Aggrieved Aspirants Forum in Ondo State have assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of their unalloyed support in his video for reelection.
This is even as they have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The forum members while speaking at a gathering in Akure, insisted that their longstanding grievances will not stop them from backing the president’s bid for re-election in the 2027 general election.
According to the forum team leader, Taiwo Agunloye, the group had decided to endorse Tinubu and pass a vote of confidence on his administration particularly in the area of security management.
“The reason behind our grievance was because we have not been attended to since the 2014, 2018, 2019 elections and also 2023. A lot of us contested for House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Chairmanship, or Councillorship. In 2018, there was no election. They begged us to calm down, that they would talk to us.
”Up till now, nobody even thought about our matter. That is why we did not remove aggrieved from our name. We were supposed to be Aspirants Forum, but we remain Aggrieved Aspirants Forum. We are still calling on them to come to our aid.
”Some people died due to trauma from how elections went. Someone who was supposed to win an election but was affected by decisions from the party or one man somewhere is now dead. We have lost three members and one of us also lost his wife. Because of that, we are still aggrieved.
”They should not allow people to die for nothing. If there is a party system, you should benefit. If you are not appointed, you can be patronized, encouraged, recognized.
”In many wards and local governments, they do not recognize us because they think we spent our money and finished our money. But now God is blessing us. We are coming on board, going to every nook and cranny of this state and the nation to bring out all our supporters for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
According to him, Tinubu’s decision to remain in the country during the crisis demonstrated seriousness and commitment to national security.
“For every politician, interest is number one, but my interest is public interest. For the security we are enjoying in Ondo State, that is a good thing. I am benefiting from it and everyone is benefiting.
”We are voting for him because we know he can lead us, we know he can bring down the economy, we can see food prices coming down drastically, we can see the exchange rate crashing downward. That is encouraging,” he stressed.
Agunloye explained that despite being aggrieved since the 2014, 2018/19 and 2023 election cycles, the forum had remained loyal to the party and was now mobilising support across all wards and local governments to ensure Tinubu’s return in 2027.
However, the team leader stressed that many members of the forum had suffered neglect over the years, including aspirants who lost election opportunities due to party decisions, and others who reportedly died from trauma linked to their electoral experiences.
He lamented that several aspirants who invested heavily in the party were not recognised or compensated, while newcomers received appointments.
Agunloye however insisted that supporting the president was not driven by personal gain, but by public interest, pointing to improvements in security in Ondo State, declining food prices, and a stabilising exchange rate as reasons for their renewed confidence.
