Six governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what they described as alleged moves to impose a consensus candidate ahead of the party’s governorship primaries for the 2027 election.
The aspirants, in an open letter jointly signed and addressed to the President, expressed concerns over what they termed growing threats to the unity, ideology and electoral future of the party in the state. Signatories to the letter included former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan; Adewale Kolapo Kareem; Musbau Asanike; Akeem Agbaje; Oyedele Hakeem Alao; and Ololade Usman Bakare.
The aspirants accused some unnamed party stakeholders and governorship hopefuls of allegedly orchestrating endorsement campaigns and manipulating party structures to create what they described as a false impression of grassroots support. According to them, some aspirants were allegedly mobilising rented crowds and convening meetings aimed at forcing the adoption of preferred candidates ahead of the primary process.
The group warned that repeating what they described as the mistakes that led to the party’s defeat in the 2023 governorship election could further weaken the APC’s chances in Oyo State in 2027. “This is the same pattern through which the party fielded an imposed candidate in 2023, a decision that directly contributed to our loss in Oyo State,” the letter stated.
The aspirants urged Tinubu to summon all governorship contenders and provide clear directives capable of restoring internal discipline, transparency and fairness within the party structure in the state. They argued that consensus within the APC should be driven by merit, inclusiveness and broad consultations rather than alleged manipulation by a few influential figures.
The letter further warned that any attempt to impose a candidate could trigger apathy, internal divisions and possible defections among loyal party members ahead of the election. “If this trajectory continues, the APC in Oyo State is on the verge of another avoidable loss,” the aspirants cautioned.
They also maintained that the people of the state were closely observing developments within the party and could lose confidence in the APC if internal democratic processes were compromised. The governorship hopefuls appealed to the President to ensure that the process leading to the emergence of the party’s candidate remains transparent and reflective of the progressive ideals of the APC.
