A former Senator representing Osun Central, Olusola Adeyeye, has said President Bola Tinubu will not lose the South-west in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the region if the party remains united.
Mr Adeyeye, who is the South-west coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said the ruling party was working to consolidate its position in the region ahead of the election.
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Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on Sunday, the former lawmaker said parties that underestimate the 2027 contest would be making a mistake.
“I make bold: anyone from any party who thinks the next election will be easy for it is suffering self-delusion. We in the APC, we work very hard to win, and I want to assure you that we will win,” he said.
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“I also want to assure you. We will win big. I care that we win the South-west, and we’re going to shock everybody.”
Mr Adeyeye said he did not see any party defeating the APC in the South-west if the ruling party remained united.
“I do not see any party in the present configuration of Nigeria defeating the APC wherever the APC is united in the South-West,” he said.
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The South-west coordinator said even in the unlikely event that Mr Tinubu lost the region, it would not automatically end his presidential bid.
He cited former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an example of a presidential candidate who won despite losing the South-west in an election.
“In the worst scenario, let us say that Bola Tinubu lost the South-west; I guarantee you he will not. But if he does, have we forgotten that another Yoruba man lost the South-west and became the President?” Mr Adeyeye said.
“Did former President Olusegun Obasanjo not lose his ward, lose his polling booth, lose his state, lose his zone, lose every state in the South-West and yet become President?”
Osun remains a battleground
Mr Adeyeye also expressed confidence that the APC would win Osun in the 2027 presidential election despite the party’s defeat in the state’s recent governorship election.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the 15 August governorship election.
Mr Adeyeye attributed Mr Adeleke’s popularity largely to his family name, particularly the influence of his late father, Isiaka Adeleke, and elder brother, Adedeji Adeleke.
He also dismissed suggestions that former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola’s association with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could pose a significant challenge to the APC in the state.
Mr Adeyeye questioned the ADC’s performance in the August governorship election, particularly in Ilesa and Osun Central, where Mr Aregbesola has strong political roots.
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“How did the ADC perform, even in Ilesa? How did Aregbesola perform in Osun Central, where I come from?” he asked.
“If Aregbesola is the candidate, it’s a different matter.”
Mr Adeyeye, however, acknowledged Mr Aregbesola’s personal political appeal, saying he remained popular in the state.
“The truth is he’s still a magnificent person, much loved. If he were a candidate, believe you me, anybody would be hard-pressed to beat him in Osun,” he said.
“But where he’s not the candidate, even he must not deceive himself that he can automatically take the affection for him to another person.”
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027. INEC has published a final list containing 18 presidential candidates, including Mr Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Peter Obi of the NDC.
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