Vice President Kashim Shettima urged Ondo State to deliver at least 1.2 million votes for President Bola Tinubu at a Nov. 11 All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Akure, setting a state target ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 election.
Shettima represented Tinubu at the Akure Township Stadium event, TheCable and Premium Times reported. The outlets said he compared the goal with about 1.8 million collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and roughly 2.1 million registered voters in Ondo.
Reports gave different current voter totals. Vanguard, citing Olayinka Ogunseye, Ondo’s head of voter education and publicity for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), reported preliminary figures of 2,053,061 registered voters and 1,771,326 collected PVCs. Punch and Independent separately reported that Imo Gov. Hope Uzodimma cited 2.4 million registered voters and 1.4 million collected cards.
INEC’s figures for the 2024 Ondo governorship election listed 2,053,061 registered voters and 1,757,205 collected PVCs. Voters must present a PVC for verification through the commission’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
Ondo Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa pledged at least one million votes for Tinubu. Abdulaziz Yari, director-general of Tinubu’s campaign, said the state should exceed Aiyedatiwa’s pledge and called on party officials to resolve internal divisions, TheCable and Premium Times reported. TheCable also reported appeals for residents to collect outstanding PVCs.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said Tinubu had directed party leaders to recognize Aiyedatiwa as state campaign coordinator, Punch and Premium Times reported. INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for Jan. 16, 2027.
