OYO 2027: APC vs APC

Let me start with the conclusion.

My informed perspective is that the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) can only return to power in the 2027 governorship election if it remains united as one APC. Only an “APC UNITED” team can win the electoral matches in 2027.

The prospect of reclaiming Agodi Government House is very bright for the APC in Oyo State. The party is blessed with an abundance of eminently qualified personalities—intellectuals with vast political experience and proven capacity. In my well considered opinion, no other political party in the state boasts such a rich pool of talent when compared on equal terms.

Unfortunately, politics is not won on credentials alone. An APC victory in the next gubernatorial election can only become a reality through an inclusive, cohesive, and united party structure. This is not a new realization for me. I have consistently expressed this view long before current events unfolded. Those who listen to my contributions on Life Radio 107.5 FM, Ibadan, as well as some of the attendees at the 2026 Ramadan Iftar hosted by Ambassador Florence Ajimobi at her Oluyole residence, can attest to this, alongside close associates with whom I regularly discuss politics.

According to my colleague, brother, and friend, Hon. Matthew Oyedokun, popularly known as “Trust Oye,” former Special Adviser on Mineral Resources to Governor Abiola Ajimobi and former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, during preparations for the 2015 elections, he often reminded us:

“Ti e ba lose election, le ma to mo pe Secretariat jina.”

Loosely translated, it means: “It is only after losing an election that you realize how far the Secretariat is.”

Beyond its literal meaning, it serves as a powerful reminder that opposition politics often places one far away from the seat of power and decision-making. His admonition was intended to motivate us ahead of what eventually became the historic election that broke the jinx of a second-term victory in Oyo State.

We won that election. However, we have since lost two consecutive governorship elections, and another contest is fast approaching.

For the last seven years, either we have been far from the Secretariat, or the Secretariat has been far from us.

Simply put, it is members of the ruling party who regularly access the Secretariat—the epicentre of power and decision-making in Oyo State. If you don’t get it, forget about it.

Nothing could be more accurate. How often do APC members find themselves at Agodi Secretariat today?

The point was further reinforced after the 2019 election defeat when some of the young men popularly known as the Ajimobi “boys,” who regularly milled around the Secretariat sought my  assistance in delivering a correspondence to the Governor; they handed me a letter requesting that Governor Ajimobi considers providing them with their own “severance package.” Their argument was simple: with the loss of the election, they would no longer enjoy access to the seat of power.

Hilarious? Certainly. But beneath the humour lay a profound political truth—the consequences of losing elections.

For any individual or political party genuinely interested in development and impactful governance, political power is indispensable. Politics precedes governance. Without winning elections, one cannot demonstrate governance capacity.

Whenever Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor Ajimobi, and I disagreed over his habit of facilitating unscheduled meetings between politicians and the Governor after we had meticulously planned His Excellency’s daily schedule, he would often remind me:

“ARU, there can be no governance without politics. Ward 4 is boiling; Oga has to meet with them.”

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That philosophy remains relevant today.

The same sentiment was echoed by the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks, who once remarked:

“I know exactly what to do to develop my state as Governor, but I do not know how to get there.”

The message is clear. In a democracy, one must first win political power before implementing developmental ideas. Without electoral victory, one remains an observer, opposition figure, critic, or even a perpetual commentator on government activities.

For the APC in Oyo State, the die is cast.

The party must continue to bury all hatchets. Members must deliberately free their minds from the baggage of factional politics. The leadership must accommodate all stakeholders and interests in order to forge a stronger, more united, and indivisible party capable of defeating every opposition.

Politics, they say, is a game of numbers. The gradual depletion of those numbers from within has been a dangerous trend that must stop immediately.

In my opinion, Oyo 2027 is APC versus APC.

The greatest challenge facing the APC ahead of the governorship election is not the opposition; it is internal division. The 2027 election is APC’s to lose.

The next election will be won through Sacrifice, Science and Strategy — not through Me, Media, and Money.

•Arulogun writes from Ibadan