The party says APC’s defeat in Osun shows voters can reject an established political structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election

The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has described the All Progressives Congress’ defeat in the August 15 Osun governorship election as a warning sign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the result could strengthen the prospects of its preferred candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

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In a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, the APM said the outcome demonstrated that an established political structure could be defeated when voters became dissatisfied with its performance.

The party linked the result to what it described as growing public concerns over economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and governance, while presenting Makinde as a potential alternative at the national level.

“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,” Abubakar said.

The APM argued that the result was particularly significant because Osun has traditionally been an important political battleground in the South-West and has strong political associations with Tinubu.

Ademola Adeleke, the Accord candidate, defeated the APC’s Bola Oyebamiji with 511,067 votes to 444,815 in the election, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The result gave Adeleke a second term as governor and represented a setback for the APC in a state where the party had sought to regain control.

The APM also referred to reports of APC leaders being booed as they left the state, interpreting the incident as evidence of wider dissatisfaction with the ruling party.

“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’s APM Osun election warning comes as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential contest, although the Osun result alone cannot establish how voters across Nigeria will eventually vote.

The APM nevertheless said the election had reinforced its belief that voters could overturn political expectations when they felt existing leadership had failed to meet their expectations.

The party promoted Makinde, who has governed Oyo State since 2019 and is due to complete his second term in 2027, as a candidate capable of offering a different political direction.

“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,” the statement said.

Makinde has not been identified in the statement as the APM’s formally nominated presidential candidate through a completed presidential nomination process.

The party’s comments therefore represent its political positioning and endorsement rather than an indication that the 2027 contest has been formally settled.

The APM also warned the APC against any attempt to manipulate the 2027 presidential election, urging the ruling party to respect the electorate’s choice.

“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 APC has not, in the statement provided, responded to the APM’s interpretation of the Osun result or its allegations concerning the 2027 election.

For the APM, however, Adeleke’s victory has become a politically potent moment, offering the opposition party an opportunity to argue that the APC’s electoral dominance is not guaranteed.

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The party said it would build on the outcome as it prepares to challenge the ruling party at the federal level, turning the Osun result into what it described as a broader message about the power of voters to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.