The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has stated that the party will use the strategy that secured its victory in the Edo State governorship election to win the upcoming election in Ondo State, scheduled for November 16, 2024.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday while celebrating Senator Monday Okpebholo’s victory in the Edo election with members of the party’s election situation room, Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State, expressed confidence in the APC’s ability to expand its influence in other key regions.
He revealed that the party is developing strategies to win not only Ondo but also states in the South East, including Anambra, which is currently governed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“We will use the same template to win Ondo and other states in the South East. Next year, Anambra State will follow. We have a project called the political demarginalisation of the South East, and it is a task that must be done,” Ganduje said. He added that the APC already controls two states in the South East but emphasized that more work is needed to increase the party’s dominance in the region.
Ganduje also urged party leaders at all levels to work towards expanding APC’s influence across the South East and beyond, stating that a large party like the APC should have a stronger presence in the region.
Meanwhile, elders from the North Central zone of the APC, led by former Senate President Ameh Ebute, expressed optimism about the party’s prospects in the 2027 general elections. During a visit to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the group congratulated Ganduje on his victory at the Federal High Court in a suit challenging his chairmanship.
The suit, filed by the North Central APC Forum, alleged that Ganduje’s appointment violated the party’s constitution, which stipulated that the chairman from 2022 to 2026 should come from the North Central zone. The court, however, struck down the suit, declaring the claims baseless.
Ebute praised Ganduje’s leadership and the APC’s recent success in Edo, expressing confidence that the party is on track to dominate the 2027 elections. “
We believe 2027 will be a walkover for the APC. We are fully behind you and will continue to support your leadership,” Ebute said.
Former presidential aspirant Cesnabmilhilo Oken’oval, who was also part of the delegation, echoed similar sentiments, predicting that the 2027 election will be a clear and decisive victory for the APC.
Commenting on his court victory, Ganduje said, “There is no doubt that the claim was baseless, and the court treated it as such. We are not afraid of such groundless litigations.”
Regarding the recent Edo election, Ganduje described the APC’s victory as evidence that the party’s efforts are yielding positive results. “Fighting an incumbent government is never easy, but the Edo election shows that we are on the right path,” he added.
With the APC setting its sights on Ondo, Anambra, and other key states, the party is gearing up for what it hopes will be further electoral successes in the near future.