- Safiu Kehinde
The Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted reports in the media claiming that the party had picked a governorship candidate for the 2027 general election.
This is coming under the heels of reports claiming that some APC chieftains met with President Bola Tinubu to adopt consensus governorship aspirants for the Southwest.
The controversial report had suggested that party leaders settled on the current Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, as the candidate for the 2027 Lagos gubernatorial election while the Senator representing Ogun West, Olamilekan Adeola (known as Yayi) was tipped as Dapo Abiodun’s successor in Ogun.
For Oyo state, the Senator representing Oyo South, Sharafadeen Alli, was reportedly considered as consensus candidate.
Reacting to the claims in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the Oyo APC described the orchestrated publication as speculative, false, and unnecessary.
He said that the reports did not mention details of the personalities involved in the purported selection or the rationale behind it.
The Oyo APC appealed for calm among its members and supporters, promising that “constitutional and democratic procedures would be strictly followed when it is the appropriate time for all its 2027 election candidates to emerge.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we have no knowledge of any individual’s ambition as far as the 2027 elections are concerned.
“Our party has not started receiving letters of intent from willing contestants because it is not yet time.
“We are a party that conducts its activities in strict adherence to the rule of law as specified by the nation’s Constitution, Electoral Act, as well as the Constitution of our great party.
“We do not put the cart before the horse because we understand the terrain, and we shall not do anything capable of undermining democracy in the land.
“Therefore, we urge members of our great party and the general public to disregard the publication in its entirety.
“The story was the making of its author(s) as it did not emanate from us. INEC has released its guidelines for the 2027 polls, and we are being guided by it.” Sadare said.
According to him, the task before the party at the moment is the successful completion of the party’s congresses as it prepares for the National Convention coming up this weekend in Abuja.
Sadare emphasised that the only decision already made by Oyo APC was the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate.
He said that all eligible and qualified members of the party who aspire for political office in 2027 would be given an equal chance to pursue their ambition.
“We assure the citizenry that our candidates will be ones who can serve their best interest and deliver on their campaign promises,” Sadare stated.
The Oyo APC’s reaction is coming days after some prominent APC leaders and politicians in Ogun state also ruled out the alleged decision of the party to adopt consensus candidacy across the South West.
NPO Reported that the Ogun APC stakeholders, in reaction to the reports, described the claims as mere “personal opinions intended to test the waters.”
The stakeholders labelled the narratives, which appeared in a national newspaper, as a desperate attempt to hoodwink other contenders into dropping their ambitions.
They further asserted that any such game plan is “dead on arrival,” noting that the amended Electoral Act is very clear on how consensus candidates can emerge.
One of the Ogun APC chieftain, Dr. Akin Ogunsanwo dismissed the story as the antics of politicians who are afraid of a transparent party process.
He clarified that, contrary to the report’s claims, the President was not even physically present at the meeting where these agendas were discussed.