PRESS STATEMENT
HAM Volunteers Issue 48-Hour Ultimatum to Dr. Ajilo Akintomide
The leadership of HAM Volunteers hereby issues a 48-hour ultimatum to Dr. Ajilo Akintomide to voluntarily desist from parading himself as the duly elected APC candidate for Ondo East and West Federal Constituency.
We are not oblivious to reports alleging that Dr. Ajilo has been moving from one political leader to another, soliciting interventions and entreating them to prevail upon the Honourable Member representing Ondo East and West Federal Constituency, Hon. Dr. Abiola Makinde, who emerged from what we maintain was a properly conducted and monitored party primary, to overlook the circumstances surrounding what he describes as a “backdoor victory” and to lend support to his self-proclaimed mandate.
It has further come to our attention that Dr. Ajilo is allegedly going about with financial inducements, approaching influential personalities and stakeholders in an attempt to persuade them to prevail on Hon. Dr. Abiola Makinde to surrender or compromise what we believe is a legitimately earned mandate. If these reports are accurate, such actions are not only inappropriate but also amount to an implicit acknowledgment that genuine electoral mandates cannot be secured through the verdict of the delegates alone. Political mandates are not commodities to be negotiated, purchased, or traded through backdoor lobbying. The will freely expressed by party members deserves respect and should never be subjected to monetary persuasion or clandestine arrangements.
It is our considered position that the path of honour, dignity, and statesmanship is for Dr. Ajilo to voluntarily withdraw his claim within the next 48 hours. Such a decision would preserve whatever political goodwill remains. Persisting in what we regard as an untenable claim may expose him to avoidable legal and political consequences, particularly if the matter proceeds through the appropriate channels. We urge restraint and respect for due process.
The good people of Ondo East and West Federal Constituency have consistently demonstrated their steadfast and unequivocal support for Hon. Dr. Abiola Makinde, whom we recognize as the rightful bearer of the mandate. Their loyalty has never been in doubt, and no amount of political manoeuvring can diminish the conviction they have expressed.
It is equally regrettable that a handful of individuals who continue to encourage Dr. Ajilo appear more interested in advancing their own interests than in offering objective counsel. Rather than guiding him toward a course that could foster unity and stability, they risk prolonging a dispute that has already generated unnecessary tension within the political family.
HAM Volunteers therefore reiterates its call for all stakeholders to uphold due process, respect lawful mechanisms for resolving political disagreements, and place the collective interest of the party and the constituency above personal ambitions.
HAM Volunteers
22/07/2026
