Osun Election Result: Lessons APC Must Learn Before 2027 – Dayo Israel

The All Progressives Congress (APC) must undertake an honest assessment of its defeat in the Osun State governorship election and address its weaknesses before the 2027 general election, the party’s National Youth Leader, Dr Dayo Israel, has said.

Israel said the outcome, which saw Governor Ademola Adeleke re-elected, should compel the party to reflect on its campaign strategy rather than resort to excuses, blame shifting or committees whose recommendations may not translate into meaningful change.

In a statement titled “Osun Has Spoken: The Bitter Truth APC Must Hear Before 2027”, Israel acknowledged the disappointment within the APC following the election but urged party members to respect the decision of the electorate.

He congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun State, while commending the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as well as party members, agents and volunteers who participated in the campaign.

According to him, the result provides the APC with an opportunity to identify what went wrong and make necessary changes ahead of 2027.

Israel identified President Bola Tinubu, Adeleke and the electorate as defining figures in the election, highlighting lessons the APC should draw from each.

He commended Tinubu for allowing Osun voters to freely make their choice, arguing that the President could have used the powers of the Federal Government to influence the outcome but chose not to do so.

“President Tinubu may have lost Osun for the APC, but he won something larger for Nigeria: another opportunity to demonstrate that the vote of the Nigerian people must matter,” he said.

Israel argued that Tinubu’s conduct in Osun was consistent with what he described as his administration’s approach to other off-cycle elections, including those in Anambra and Bayelsa, where opposition parties retained power.

He said the APC should recognise the value of allowing democratic institutions and voters to operate without undue interference, even when election results are unfavourable to the party.

On Adeleke, Israel said the APC should stop underestimating the governor because of his public dancing and entertainment-oriented style.

He argued that Adeleke’s ability to connect with voters through singing, dancing, accessibility and public worship had helped him establish a strong emotional connection with grassroots communities.

“Governor Adeleke’s dancing was never a weakness. It was a political language,” Israel said.

According to him, Adeleke’s approach demonstrated that electoral politics involves more than policies and elite-level debates.

“Politics is not only policy. It is emotion, identity, presence and belonging,” he said.

Israel noted that former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former Governor Bisi Akande had, in different ways, also understood the importance of cultural identification and grassroots engagement.

He also cited former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as an example of how performance, presence and cultural familiarity can become effective tools of political communication.

The APC youth leader warned that the party must not mistake sophistication or elite approval for genuine electoral strength.

“A candidate may dominate elite discourse and still fail to move a ward. Another may be mocked in elite spaces and still command overwhelming loyalty on the ground,” he said.

He stressed that elections are ultimately won by understanding voters and maintaining strong relationships with communities.

“Elections are not won by approval ratings in Abuja. They are won by understanding people as they are,” Israel said.

He urged the APC to treat the Osun result as a warning ahead of 2027 and to examine how it selects candidates, communicates with voters and builds grassroots structures.

For Israel, the central lesson from Osun is clear: the party must reconnect with ordinary voters, understand local political culture and avoid dismissing the qualities that create emotional bonds between candidates and the electorate.

The defeat, he suggested, should therefore become a catalyst for reform rather than another episode of post-election blame