APM Says Osun Result Signals Makinde Will Defeat Tinubu in 2027

The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has described the outcome of the Osun State governorship election as a warning sign for President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The party said the victory of the opposition Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke, showed that voters could reject an incumbent political establishment despite its influence and strong political structures.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, the APM claimed that the Osun result pointed to declining support for the APC and growing appetite for a change of leadership at the federal level.

The party said the outcome was particularly significant because Osun is regarded as one of Tinubu’s political strongholds.

“The triumph of the people over the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s governorship election in President Tinubu’s home state, Osun, not only foretastes the defeat that awaits President Tinubu in 2027 but also firmly establishes Makinde’s people-driven position that every political establishment seems unbeatable until the people decide otherwise,” the statement said.

The APM, which has adopted Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as its presidential candidate for 2027, said the reaction of voters during the election suggested growing dissatisfaction with the ruling party.

It cited alleged booing of some APC leaders and governors as they departed Osun State, arguing that the development demonstrated that the party might struggle to secure popular support during the 2027 campaigns.

“Judging from the disposition of Nigerians as witnessed in the booing of APC leaders, President Tinubu and his party will struggle to command any genuine audience during the upcoming campaigns,” Abubakar said.

The party attributed the alleged disaffection to economic hardship, insecurity and what it described as poor governance under the Tinubu administration.

It also claimed that signs of internal discontent were emerging within the APC, citing alleged instances of party members and candidates chanting the name of the APM at political gatherings.

The opposition party referenced an APC rally in Oyo State where it alleged that a governorship candidate repeatedly chanted “APM”, describing the incident as another indication of the political shift it claimed was taking place.

The APM said the developments should prompt the President and APC leaders to reassess their political strategy before the 2027 elections.

The party also presented Makinde as an alternative to the APC, arguing that his record in Oyo State had positioned him as a credible contender for the presidency.

“Nigerians are gravitating toward Seyi Makinde because they see in him the right presidential candidate with the desired track record of performance, practical blueprint, competence and youthful commitment to reset Nigeria to a nation of our collective dream,” it said.

Makinde, who became governor of Oyo State in 2019, is due to complete his second and final term in 2027.

The APM claimed that his administration had demonstrated the capacity to manage the state’s economy and deliver people-oriented governance.

It also cited a visit by an unnamed African president to Oyo State to exchange ideas with Makinde on leadership and development as evidence, according to the party, of the governor’s growing profile beyond the state.

The party further accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over worsening economic conditions, insecurity, unemployment and infrastructural challenges.

It said Nigerians would not reward the APC with another term if the prevailing conditions continued.

“Of course, Nigerians can no longer continue to stomach the arrogance in failure, totalitarian proclivities, worsening insecurity and economic hardship that the Tinubu administration now represents,” the APM said.

The party’s comments come amid growing political positioning by opposition parties and prospective presidential contenders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The August 15 Osun governorship election has already become a subject of competing political interpretations, with opposition parties viewing the outcome as evidence of declining APC influence, while the ruling party is expected to draw its own lessons from the poll.

The APM warned the APC against attempting to manipulate the 2027 presidential election, saying any effort to undermine the electorate’s choice would be resisted.

“Our party therefore cautions the APC to read the handwriting on the wall and perish any thoughts of rigging the 2027 presidential election, as any attempt to subvert the will of the people will be firmly resisted by Nigerians on the platform of the APM,” Abubakar said.

The party congratulated Osun voters on what it described as the triumph of popular will and said the result had strengthened its determination to challenge the APC at the federal level.

It said it would mobilise Nigerians around Makinde’s candidacy as part of its effort to unseat the APC in 2027.