Oyo Governorship Aspirants Warn Against Imposition, Cash Inducement

Governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State have warned the party’s leaders against imposition, cash inducement and exclusionary consensus arrangements, declaring that the party risks another humiliating defeat in 2027 if old wounds are not healed and internal democracy restored.

Rising from a closed-door meeting in Ibadan yesterday, the aspirants said they came together “with heavy hearts but unbroken resolve” to confront the divisions and injustices that cost the APC power in 2019 and weakened its chances in 2023.

“We deliberated on the painful wounds our party has carried since 2019, the last time we held power in Oyo State. This meeting was born out of love for the APC and a burning desire to ensure that never again shall our house be divided to the point of losing the trust of our people,” the communique stated.

The aspirants reaffirmed their loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, praising his leadership amid national challenges and pledging to stand “firmly and proudly on his mandate.”

They also committed to supporting whoever emerges as the party’s flagbearer in 2027, provided the candidate does so through a transparent, free, fair, and credible process.

“Let it be known, whoever emerges as our flagbearer for the 2027 governorship election shall receive our full, collective, and heartfelt support. But we declare with one voice that such a candidate must not be imposed upon us.

“Imposition is a betrayal of democracy, and we reject it totally, completely, and without compromise,” they declared.

In what amounts to a direct rebuke of behind-the-scenes deals, the aspirants said consensus must not become a cover for manipulation and exclusion.

“We are not enemies of consensus. We respect the time-honoured tradition of our party to build unity through agreement. But let consensus never become a cover for exclusion or manipulation.

“The process must be transparent, free, fair, and clean; worthy of a party that claims to stand for the people. Anything less is an insult to the sacrifices of our members who have bled for this party”, they said.

The aspirants also condemned the use of money and material inducements to hijack party processes, describing it as a poison that corrodes merit and alienates the grassroots.

“It pains us to see how money and material inducements are sometimes paraded as tools to hijack the will of the people. We condemn, in the strongest terms, the flaunting of cash and every form of inducement that corrupts the process of selecting our leaders. When money speaks louder than merit, the party bleeds, and the people suffer.”

In light of the bitter lessons of 2019 and 2023, they argued that APC did not lose because its ideals were weak, but because division, imposition, and injustice weakened its ranks.

They called for probity, equity, and propriety to guide all future decisions, stressing that the people of Oyo deserve better than a party that repeats its mistakes.

The call for fairness, they said, must extend beyond the governorship race to Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assembly contests.

“If we allow fairness to reign from top to bottom, we will heal our party, restore the confidence of our people, and position the APC to reclaim Oyo State in 2027 with pride, strength, and unity. The time to act with courage is now”, they added.

On internal cohesion, the aspirants committed to settling differences through dialogue within party structures and avoiding public disputes that erode voter confidence.

They urged state and national party leadership to initiate a genuine reconciliation process that reaches aggrieved members at ward and local government levels, insisting that “healing must be deliberate, not rhetorical.”

They also called for discipline and restraint among aspirants and supporters, warning against media warfare, personal attacks, and factional branding.

“A house that fights itself in public cannot convince voters to trust it with power. Our energy must be redirected toward engaging the people on issues that matter to them”, the aspirants said.

On strategy, the aspirants resolved to prioritise ward-level mobilisation, listening tours, and issue-based campaigns over elite bargaining. They warned that relying on wealth to seduce voters would have failed in the past and would not work in Oyo State in 2027.

“A party that is alive at the grassroots does not need to fear the outcome of a free contest, especially if the right candidate of public acceptance is fielded on merit and not on demerit,” part of the communique read.

The meeting concluded with a direct appeal to APC elders and leaders to make peace, justice, and unity non-negotiable ahead of 2027.

“The people of Oyo are waiting for a party that offers order, competence, and inclusivity. If we provide it, they will respond. If we fail, history will record that we failed ourselves”, they added.

The communique was signed by six prominent aspirants: H.E. Engr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan; Dr. Adewale Kolapo Kareem; Prince Musbau Asatola Asanike; Barrister Akeem Agbaje; Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao and Dr Ololade Usman Bakare.