Osun Election: APC Admits Internal Disagreements Contributed to Defeat, Says Party Underestimated Adeleke

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has admitted that internal disagreements within the party, disputes over its governorship candidate and overconfidence contributed significantly to its defeat in the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

The party described the outcome as a warning that should not be ignored ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as the APC prepares for another major political contest.

A senior member of the party, Farouk Aliyu, made the admission while speaking on the ARISE Morning Show, where he acknowledged that the APC had, in his words, “defeated itself” in Osun despite deploying considerable resources and efforts toward winning the election.

The election was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, who secured 511,677 votes, giving him the mandate to continue in office for a second term.

Candidate Dispute Divided APC Members

Aliyu identified disagreements over the selection of the party's candidate as one of the major problems that affected the APC's performance.

According to him, some party members were unhappy with the candidate selected by the party and subsequently failed to give the campaign the level of support required to defeat Adeleke.

He said:

“We did everything humanly possible to win the election. There were a lot of disagreements among our members in Osun State. Some people were not happy with the choice of our candidate.”

Aliyu said the experience should teach the APC an important lesson ahead of future elections.

He argued that whenever the party selects a candidate, the candidate must enjoy broad acceptance among party members so that internal disagreements do not weaken the campaign during the election itself.

He added:

“Some of our members did not do what they were supposed to do because of anger, because they did not like our candidate. That was the major problem within our party; APC defeated itself in Osun State.”

Although Aliyu refused to publicly identify individuals he believed were responsible for the defeat, he said such matters should be addressed internally by the party.

APC Underestimated Adeleke

The APC leader also criticised what he described as excessive confidence among some party members and supporters.

According to him, some APC politicians believed that the influence of the Federal Government would be enough to guarantee victory, leading them to underestimate Adeleke and his campaign organisation.

He said:

“Some thought the Federal Government would come in and they would just write the result of the election. Our members and supporters underestimated Adeleke and his efforts.”

Aliyu said the APC failed to carry out certain activities that should have been done in some areas because party members were convinced that victory was already assured.

He added:

“The things we should have done in some places, we did not do them because we thought we would win the election regardless of what happened. But that was not the case.”

He also criticised comments made by the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, during the campaign, arguing that some of the statements contributed to the party's problems.

Tinubu and INEC Receive Praise

Despite the defeat, Aliyu praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allowing the Federal Government to play a role in the election process.

He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for uploading the results to the IReV portal, describing the process as transparent.

His comments suggest that while the APC is examining the factors behind its defeat, the party does not believe the entire election process was responsible for its poor performance.

Instead, much of the blame has been directed toward internal disagreements, candidate selection, campaign strategy and the failure to take Adeleke's political strength seriously.

Obasanjo Congratulates Adeleke

Following Adeleke's victory, several prominent political figures congratulated him and urged him to continue providing good governance.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Adeleke at his residence in Ede to congratulate him on his victory.

Obasanjo encouraged the governor to continue focusing on good governance and the needs of the people of Osun State.

He told Adeleke:

“Continue to provide good governance. Continue to attend to the needs of your people.”

Adeleke thanked the former President for the visit and promised not to disappoint the people of Osun State.

He said:

“Baba, I thank you for this surprise visit. I promise that I will not disappoint God, the people of Osun and all the lovers of democracy who made our victory possible.”

Soludo Calls for Peace and Unity

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State also congratulated Adeleke on his victory.

Soludo said the result demonstrated the courage and confidence that Osun voters had in Adeleke's leadership.

He urged politicians to embrace peace and unity following the election.

His message came amid calls for political actors to accept the outcome of the election and focus on the development of the state rather than allowing political disagreements to create further tension.

Afenifere Praises Osun Voters and INEC

The Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere described the election as free, fair and credible.

The group commended both INEC and the people of Osun State for allowing what it described as the will of the people to prevail.

However, Afenifere also called for further improvements to Nigeria's electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The organisation said strengthening the electoral process would help deepen confidence in democracy and ensure that future elections are conducted in a manner that reflects the choices of voters.

IPAC Urges Adeleke to Run an Inclusive Government

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) also congratulated Adeleke and called on him to operate an inclusive administration.

The council urged the governor to ensure that government positions and opportunities were distributed fairly and that his second term would accommodate people beyond his immediate political supporters.

The call reflects the wider expectation that Adeleke should use his renewed mandate to govern for the entire state.

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Political Factors Behind Oyebamiji and APC's Defeat

While APC officials have publicly acknowledged internal disagreements as a major factor, further political developments surrounding the election have generated additional questions about what happened behind the scenes.

APC lost the Osun governorship election on Saturday, with Accord Party candidate Ademola Adeleke defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji by more than 66,000 votes after a fiercely contested campaign.

IROYIN YORUBA's findings indicate that intense political calculations and activities taking place behind the scenes during the campaign may also have influenced the outcome.

According to sources familiar with developments within the APC, one of the major issues was the struggle surrounding the 2027 presidential election and efforts to position the APC for victory in Osun while also securing strong support for President Tinubu.

Political Calculations Around Adeleke

While APC leaders were campaigning publicly and asking voters to support the party, political strategists associated with the presidency were reportedly considering ways of establishing a working relationship with Governor Adeleke.

The objective, according to sources, was to ensure that the APC could secure a strong political foothold in Osun ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

This development is particularly significant because Adeleke had previously explored the possibility of joining the APC when internal problems within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) became severe.

According to the account, Adeleke had attempted to move into the APC, but influential figures in Osun State reportedly opposed the move because they believed the party could defeat him in the governorship election.

At the same time, some influential political actors within and outside Osun were reportedly interested in having Adeleke join the APC because of his popularity and the support he enjoys among workers, youths and other sections of the electorate.

Presidency Allegedly Engaged Adeleke's Family

Sources further told IROYIN YORUBA that while APC officials and campaign organisers were finalising their strategy for election day, some individuals connected to the Presidency were reportedly communicating with members of the Adeleke family.

The discussions were said to have centred on how both sides could work together politically and secure significant support for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The development highlights the complicated political calculations surrounding the Osun election, where the immediate battle for the governorship was taking place alongside longer-term preparations for the 2027 presidential contest.

APC Strategists Reportedly Left Osun Before Voting

A reliable source within the APC told IROYIN YORUBA that several political strategists associated with the party reportedly left Osun State in the early hours of Saturday, before voting commenced.

The source claimed that their departure followed instructions allegedly originating from the Presidency.

According to the source, the APC governorship candidate and some of his close aides became aware of the development only a few hours before voting began.

Despite the information, they reportedly continued with their campaign and election-day activities.

Another source within the APC office in Osogbo, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, claimed that the Presidency was already considering how to work with the Adeleke family to secure more than one million votes for President Tinubu in Osun State in 2027.

The claim has added another layer to the political debate surrounding the APC's defeat, although the reported behind-the-scenes discussions and movements remain allegations attributed to unnamed sources.

A Major Warning Ahead of 2027

The Osun election has therefore become more than a simple defeat for the APC.

For the party, the result exposes the danger of internal divisions, disagreements over candidates and excessive confidence in political contests.

The admission by Farouk Aliyu that “APC defeated itself” has particularly drawn attention because it places the responsibility for the defeat largely on the party's internal weaknesses rather than on external factors.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the APC will now have to determine whether it can successfully reconcile dissatisfied members, strengthen its grassroots structures and ensure that future candidates receive genuine support from the wider party.

At the same time, the political developments surrounding Adeleke and the reported efforts to establish relationships with his political network show that the 2026 Osun election may have implications extending beyond the governorship.

The immediate challenge for the APC is therefore to learn from its Osun experience before the 2027 elections.

For Adeleke, the victory provides another four years in office. For the APC, however, the result has delivered a warning: internal unity, candidate acceptance, effective grassroots mobilisation and realistic assessment of opponents could determine whether the party succeeds or suffers another major setback in 2027.