COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF OYO STATE GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS’ MEETING HELD IN IBADAN ON TUESDAY MAY 12, 2026.
Oyo APC Governorship Aspirants Demand Justice, Unity, Fair Path to 2027
- We, the undersigned governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, gathered in Ibadan today, Tuesday, May 12, 2027, with heavy hearts but unbroken resolve. We deliberated on the painful wounds our party has carried since 2019; the last time we held power in Oyo State. This meeting was born out of love for the APC and a burning desire to ensure that never again shall our house be divided to the point of losing the trust of our people.
- We rise today to salute the courage, foresight, and tireless administrative prowess of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In the face of daunting national challenges, he has stood firm, guiding this country with steady hands. We pledge our unwavering, unshakable loyalty to him and his government. We pray Almighty God to grant him sound health, strength and wisdom to steer the ship of state even beyond 2027. We stand firmly and proudly on his mandate.
- We reaffirm our solemn pledge of loyalty to the APC, through good times and trials, because true progressives do not abandon their home when storms arise. And let it be known: whoever emerges as our flagbearer for the 2027 governorship election shall receive our full, collective, and heartfelt support. But we declare with one voice that such a candidate must not be imposed upon us. Imposition is a betrayal of democracy, and we reject it totally, completely, and without compromise.
- We are not enemies of consensus. We respect the time-honored tradition of our party to build unity through agreement. But let consensus never become a cover for exclusion or manipulation. The process must be transparent, free, fair, and clean; worthy of a party that claims to stand for the people. Anything less is an insult to the sacrifices of our members who have bled for this party.
- It pains us to see how money and material inducement are sometimes paraded as tools to hijack the will of the people. We condemn, in the strongest terms, the flaunting of cash and every form of inducement that corrupts the process of selecting our leaders. When money speaks louder than merit, the party bleeds and the people suffer. We will not stand by and watch the soul of our party be sold for a price.
- We have not forgotten the bitter lessons of 2019 and 2023 in Oyo State. We lost not because our ideals were weak, but because division, imposition and injustice weakened our ranks. To avoid repeating that agony, we must now let probity, equity, and propriety guide every decision we make. Our people deserve better than a party that ignores its own pain and repeats its mistakes.
- This call for openness, fairness, and justice must not stop at the governorship. It must extend to every position; Senate, House of Representatives, and State House of Assembly. If we allow fairness to reign from top to bottom, we will heal our party, restore the confidence of our people and position the APC to reclaim Oyo State in 2027 with pride, strength, and unity. The time to act with courage is now.
- On the imperative of peace we state unequivocally that without internal peace, APC cannot present a credible challenge in 2027. Peace is not weakness; it is the foundation upon which victory is built. We therefore commit ourselves to settling differences through dialogue within party structures and to avoiding public disputes that erode the confidence of our members and the electorate.
- On reconciliation and healing, we urge the party leadership at the state and national levels to initiate a genuine reconciliation process that reaches aggrieved members at the ward and local government levels. Healing must be deliberate, not rhetorical. Every disenchanted member who still believes in progressive ideals must feel seen, heard, and reintegrated before the primaries.
- On discipline and restraint, we call on all aspirants, supporters, and party officials to exercise restraint in speech and conduct. The era of media warfare, personal attacks, and factional branding must end. A house that fights itself in public cannot convince voters to trust it with power. Our energy must be redirected toward engaging the people on issues that matter to them.
- On grassroots engagement, winning Oyo State in 2027 will depend on how well we connect with the ordinary voter in Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Oke-Ogun, and Ibarapa. We resolve to prioritize ward-level mobilization, listening tours, and issue-based campaigns over elite bargaining. A party that is alive at the grassroots does not need to fear the outcome of a free contest, especially if the right candidate of public acceptance is fielded on merit and not on demerit through reliance on wealth to seduce voters’ will. This did not work in the past and not going to work tomorrow in Oyo State. We do not want to forfeit 2027.
- On internal democracy as a path to victory we reiterate that a transparent and credible concensus or primary is the surest way to unite the party after the contest. When members believe the process was fair, they rally behind the winner. When they suspect manipulation, they withdraw. APC in Oyo State must choose credibility over convenience if it wants to return to the Agodi Government House.
- Final call: We conclude by appealing to all stakeholders, elders and leaders of the APC in Oyo State to make peace, justice, and unity non-negotiable principles ahead of 2027. The people of Oyo are waiting for a party that offers order, competence, and inclusivity. If we provide it, they will respond. If we fail, history will record that we failed ourselves. Good luck to our party.
Signed;
Oyo State APC Governorship Aspirants.
- H.E. ENGR RAUF ADEREMI OLANIYAN
- DR. ADEWALE KOLAPO KAREEM
- PRINCE MUSBAU ASATOLA ASANIKE
- BARRISTER AKEEM AGBAJE
- ENGR. OYEDELE HAKEEM ALAO
- DR. OLOLADE USMAN BAKARE
