As a member of the All Progressives Congress who contested to represent my Federal Constituency, I feel compelled to speak up. With the 2027 general elections fast approaching, the APC in Oyo State is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. Pretending that all is well will only deceive us. There are urgent issues that must be addressed if we truly want to reclaim Oyo State.
From what we know, the National Working Committee, in line with directives from the Presidency, set out a clear mandate: the party must win back Oyo State by fielding credible candidates with fresh ideas for the National Assembly. The goal was to move away from career politicians whose only focus is self-interest, personal ranking, and recycling themselves with no real impact on their constituents.
To achieve this, the NWC reached out to the state leadership and provided funding. The party’s primary rules were also reviewed to make room for new, capable candidates who understand modern political practices. Both consensus and direct primaries were introduced, with consensus as the first option and direct primaries as a fallback.
However, the consensus list that was eventually drawn up falls short of the NWC’s directive. The quality of some candidates was compromised, and key stakeholders were not carried along. That is where the current crisis in the party began.
If we are serious about rescuing Oyo State, here is what I propose:
First, the list must be reviewed to align with the Presidency’s vision. Members of the National Assembly seeking a fourth term should be dropped and replaced with fresh, qualified, and credible candidates who can truly represent the people.
Second, all gubernatorial aspirants who took part in the process should be brought together for a truce. This dialogue may even require reconsidering the current anointed candidate in the interest of unity.
Third, every stakeholder must be carried along and fairly compensated to restore a spirit of togetherness. It is not sustainable to secretly share out political positions. Every aspirant, especially those who paid for nomination forms, should be approached directly, not through proxies, to negotiate proper compensation.
Finally, the final list of candidates should be made public while reconciliation and negotiations continue. Transparency will help douse tension and rebuild trust.
The time to act is now. If we delay, we risk going into 2027 divided.
Hon. Ismail Adewoyin, PhD is an APC House of Representative Aspirant for Saki West / Saki East / ATISBO Federal Constituency in Oyo State
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