Mimiko: Yoruba leaders agree to bury grievances, rally behind Tinubu for 2027

Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has said political leaders across the South-West have agreed to set aside their differences and support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Mimiko disclosed this at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-West Zone Stakeholders’ Engagement held at Providence Hotel in Lagos, where he said the meeting had produced a consensus on the need to unite behind Tinubu and promote his administration’s achievements.

He said the leaders had resolved to put aside internal disagreements and political grievances in the interest of the Yoruba people and Nigeria, declaring that “we bury all grievances, all intraparty scores” to secure the region’s future.

According to the former governor, the stakeholders also agreed to take the administration’s policies and economic reforms to the grassroots, explaining their impact to residents in local languages they could understand. He said the focus should extend beyond macroeconomic indicators to the improvements Nigerians could experience in their daily lives.

Mimiko also praised Tinubu’s investments in digital infrastructure, particularly the ongoing fibre-optic cable project, which he said would expand access to information, knowledge and education for young Nigerians. He described wider access to tertiary education as the next major step in the region’s educational development.

He further said the stakeholders had acknowledged the progress towards decentralising Nigeria’s policing system, particularly the proposed establishment of state police. He attributed the development to political consensus among leaders, expressing confidence that it would strengthen security across the South-West and the country.

“Today, we are all confident that the policing architecture in this country will soon be decentralised, in the service of our people, and to promote security, not only in Yoruba land, but in Nigeria as a whole,” he said.

While acknowledging that Tinubu was not a perfect leader, Mimiko urged Yoruba people to support his administration, saying the president had demonstrated courage and conviction in taking decisions. He said the stakeholders were committed to sustaining that support and ensuring that the administration’s achievements were communicated to people at the grassroots.