Ondo South Rainbow Coalition: MATO’s PDP and the Politics of Popularity, Credibility and Grassroots Connection

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The politics of Ondo South appears to be entering a season where party colours alone may no longer tell the full story. Beneath the familiar banners of APC, PDP, APM and ADC, another current is quietly gaining ground—the rainbow coalition, where people across political lines converge around personality, credibility and the quality of representation they desire. At the centre of this conversation is Hon. Mathew Oye Oyerinmade (MATO). The rhythm is simple: popularity, credibility and grassroots connection. A politician may command structures and endorsements, but the real test is whether his name travels naturally from political meetings to wards, homes and communities.

That is why MATO’s supporters describe his political reach as a rainbow that cuts across factions and party colours. They point to his relationships with people in APC, PDP and ADC, as well as across Ilaje, Ikale, Apoi, Odigbo, Ile-Oluji and Okeigbo communities, including Ijaw communities, while traditional rulers and other stakeholders remain part of the conversation. The argument is that when a politician’s relationships stretch beyond one political camp, the rainbow is no longer merely a campaign slogan; it becomes a reflection of connections built over time.

Beyond popularity, MATO’s agenda speaks to the future. His Digital Innovation Programme is designed to equip youths with modern skills in software development and data analysis, while his Agro-Cooperative and Micro-Enterprise Empowerment Scheme offers farmers and traders a structured pathway to expand their economic activities. His proposed regular engagement with stakeholders and constituents is equally central: know the need, identify the priority and put the project where the people actually need it. That is the difference between decorating a manifesto and building a constituency agenda.

There is also a deeper question of Yoruba heritage and political responsibility. Yoruba rónú is more than a slogan; it is a call to think beyond today’s political bargain and consider tomorrow’s legacy. Party loyalty has its place, but the people of Ondo South must also be able to examine accessibility, capacity, credibility and human relations. Political capital means little if it cannot become community capital. The party may provide the vehicle, but the people remain the destination.

MATO’s current senatorial ambition is on the PDP platform, while he maintains support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at the presidential level—another illustration of how rainbow politics can cut across party lines. In the end, political pretenders may make noise, structures may make declarations, and endorsements may fill the pages, but grassroots connection is difficult to manufacture. When the political rainbow is tested in the real communities of Ondo South, the colours that endure will be those rooted in relationships, credibility and the people.

*MATO Strategic Media Team*