ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The All Progressives Congress, (APC), has admitted that internal disagreements, poor coordination and overconfidence contributed to its defeat in the Osun State governorship election.
A chieftain of the party, Farouk Aliyu, said the APC’s loss was largely self-inflicted, arguing that divisions over its candidate and the belief that federal influence would guarantee victory weakened the party’s campaign.
Speaking on ARISE Morning Show yesterday, Aliyu said some APC members were unhappy with the choice of Bola Oyebamiji as the party’s candidate and consequently failed to give him the support required to win the election.
According to him, the party made extensive efforts to secure victory but was undermined by disagreements within its ranks.
“Some members of our party did not do what they were supposed to do out of anger because they didn’t like our candidate,” Aliyu said, describing the situation as the major internal problem that affected the APC’s performance.
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He said the experience should serve as a lesson to the party ahead of the 2027 general election, stressing the need to ensure that future candidates enjoy broad acceptance among party members.
Aliyu also blamed complacency for the defeat, saying some APC supporters believed the influence of the Federal Government would automatically translate into electoral victory.
He said the party underestimated Governor Ademola Adeleke and his political structure, adding that some of the groundwork required to secure votes in key areas was neglected because victory was considered almost certain.
The APC chieftain declined to name those he believed were responsible for the internal crisis, saying the issues should be addressed within the party.
He, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for allowing the election to proceed without using federal power to influence the outcome.
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Aliyu also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for uploading the results through its Result Viewing Portal, IReV, describing the process as transparent.
Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated the APC candidate to retain the Osun governorship with 511,677 votes.
Beyond the public admission of internal disagreements, investigations into the APC’s campaign revealed deeper political calculations surrounding the election.
Sources within the party said the struggle over the 2027 presidential election may have affected the APC’s approach to the Osun governorship contest.
According to the sources, some political strategists within the Presidency were reportedly exploring an alliance with the Adeleke political dynasty ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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The calculation, it was gathered, was linked to the governor’s political influence in Osun and the possibility of securing substantial support for President Tinubu in the state during the next presidential poll.
Sources said some APC strategists left Osun shortly before voting began, allegedly following directives connected to the Presidency.
The development reportedly unsettled some members of Oyebamiji’s campaign team, although the candidate and his associates proceeded with the election.
According to Vanguard, a source at the APC secretariat in Osogbo claimed that discussions were ongoing around a possible political understanding with the Adeleke camp, with the Presidency allegedly interested in securing more than one million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The claims could not be independently verified.