How Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo Emerged as Ondo’s Most Influential Political Force

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, popularly known as “BTO,” is the Minister of Interior under President Bola Tinubu. Though his official mandate is federal, his political weight has grown into one of the strongest in Ondo State, arguably rivalling the governor’s own influence. The numbers explain why.

In the 2024 Ondo governorship election, Tunji-Ojo delivered his home base of Akoko North West with 81.2 per cent of the vote for the APC, the highest bloc recorded by any political actor across all 18 local government areas in the state.

His influence was not built overnight. He first proved his strategic instincts nationally as Director General of Tajudeen Abbas’s successful campaign to become Speaker of the House of Representatives, a role that placed him firmly among the party’s key power brokers.

At home, Tunji-Ojo has run what looks less like the agenda of a federal minister and more like that of a governor. He personally funded digital technology hubs in all 18 LGAs and supplied learning materials to over 120,000 primary school pupils across the state.

His outreach has also touched all 203 political wards, with medical and aid interventions reaching communities often bypassed by state politics. He donated 14 ambulances to health centres and gave buses to the Council of Traditional Rulers, cementing ties with both grassroots and traditional power structures.

Nationally, Tunji-Ojo’s reforms at the Ministry of Interior, especially the automation of passport applications, have strengthened his reputation as an effective administrator, further boosting his standing back home.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa remains constitutionally in charge of Ondo. But Tunji-Ojo’s blend of federal access, electoral numbers and grassroots investment has made him the man many now see as the state’s true political bridge to Abuja, and quite possibly its most influential figure heading into the next election cycle.