By Obinna Uballa
Former Osun State governor and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu against assuming victory in the 2027 general election on the strength of governors defecting to or aligning with the ruling party.
Aregbesola said recent electoral outcomes have shown that the support of state governors does not automatically translate into votes, insisting that elections are ultimately decided by the people.
He spoke at the launch of a book authored by the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, where he dismissed claims making the rounds that the APC’s growing number of governors guarantees its success in the next presidential election.
“There is an assertion going around which is worrisome,” Aregbesola said. “Some people believe that because about 30 governors are backing a party, that party is assured of victory. Recent statistics in Nigeria do not support that belief.”
Drawing examples from the 2023 general election, Aregbesola cited results from the South West and South East to argue that control of state governments does not necessarily confer electoral dominance.
He noted that despite the APC controlling all but one state in the South West at the time, the party secured only about 55 per cent of the votes in the zone, with opposition parties sharing the remainder.
“In Lagos, the situation was even more telling,” he said. “The APC presidential candidate lost his ward, his local government and the state. So where does the claim come from that governors can win elections against the will of the people?”
Aregbesola said the outcome in the South East was even more decisive, pointing out that the APC garnered just 5.8 per cent of the total votes cast in the zone during the last election.
“These two zones clearly demonstrate that governors do not win elections; the people do,” he said.
According to him, the critical responsibility of those in government ahead of elections is to guarantee a free and fair process rather than rely on political structures or incumbency.
“What we require from the government supervising elections is a clear commitment to free and fair polls,” Aregbesola added. “Let there be a truly democratic process, and then we will see what the outcome will be.”
