Hon. Kolawole Babatunde, a former member of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday emerged as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State following the party’s state congress held in Akure.
Babatunde and 35 other members of the State Working Committee were returned through consensus and affirmation at the congress, which took place at the International Centre for Culture and Events in the state capital without any reported disruption.
Addressing party faithful at the gathering, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, called on members to sustain unity, discipline and internal democracy, describing the exercise as critical to strengthening the party’s structure.
The governor said the congress was not a mere routine but a demonstration of the party’s commitment to order and collective responsibility.
He urged members to place the interest of the party above personal ambitions in order to ensure stability and progress.
Aiyedatiwa commended aspirants and stakeholders who stepped down for consensus, noting that such sacrifices reflected the spirit of the party in the state.
He also charged the newly elected executives at the state, local government and ward levels to justify the confidence reposed in them by consolidating the party’s grassroots structures.
The governor further canvassed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying Ondo APC remained aligned with the Federal Government’s reform agenda aimed at repositioning the country for sustainable growth.
In his acceptance speech titled “A New Dawn of Unity and Progress,” Babatunde pledged to provide transparent and inclusive leadership.
He described his emergence as a collective victory and assured party members that there would be no division under his watch.
He promised to revitalise the party’s grassroots base, expand opportunities for youths and women, and work closely with elders to strengthen internal cohesion.
According to him, the contest produced no losers, stressing that unity would remain the party’s greatest asset.
Earlier, Chairman of the State Congress Committee, Comrade Ogonna Obiekwe, said the exercise reflected the party’s shared commitment to fairness and discipline, urging members to see political competition as a means of strengthening, rather than weakening, the APC.