Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it has noted the recent comments credited to former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in which he asserted that governors’ defections would not decide the 2027 elections and attempted to unduly hype the academic victory of the opposition during the 2023 presidential election in Lagos by citing the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
The party in a statement yesterday in Ogba, Lagos, said: ‘’While every citizen is entitled to an opinion, Lagos APC considers it necessary to place the facts on record and correct the sweeping conclusions and convenient omissions embedded in Aregbesola’s remarks.
‘’First, it is intellectually disingenuous to isolate Lagos from the broader national picture. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged victorious in the 2023 presidential election not by accident, but by building the widest national coalition, winning the constitutional spread, and securing the mandate of Nigerians across diverse regions. Presidential elections are won at the national level, not on the basis of a single state, however symbolic. To suggest otherwise betrays either a poor grasp of electoral realities or a deliberate attempt to mislead.
‘’Second, it is convenient for Aregbesola to forget that the so-called opposition ‘victory’ in Lagos during the presidential election was pyrrhic at best. It neither altered the national outcome nor endured beyond that single contest. Just days later, during the governorship election, Lagosians reaffirmed their confidence in the APC and the progressive tradition by returning the party to office. Even more instructive, subsequent off-season bye-elections across the state produced sweeping victories for the APC, a clear and unmistakable reflection of the progressive party’s enduring control, structure, and grassroots acceptance in Lagos.
‘’Third, far from diminishing President Tinubu’s stature, the Lagos presidential election results enhanced his democratic credentials. They stand today as incontrovertible proof of his belief in, and commitment to, a credible electoral process. The fact that an opposition candidate could win in a state governed by his party underscores the integrity of the process under his watch and silences any lingering doubts about his democratic ethos.
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‘’On the issue of defections, the APC has never claimed that defections alone win elections. What wins elections are performance, credibility, structure, leadership and a compelling vision. Where defections occur in favour of the APC, they are often a response to the glaring failure, incoherence and lack of ideological direction within opposition ranks. They are a consequence, not a cause, of the ruling party’s political strength.
‘’We understand the nightmare the current wave of mass defections has unleashed on the opposition. The panic, denial and rhetorical outbursts now on display are symptoms of a political camp struggling with its own impending irrelevance. We reaffirm, without equivocation, that those horrific dreams will indeed come true in 2027, when the opposition – bereft of ideas, unity and credibility – will disappear into the winds of history.
‘’Finally, Lagos APC finds it curious that individuals who once benefitted immensely from the progressive platform built by Asiwaju Tinubu now seek relevance by attempting to downplay his political stature. History is clear, consistent, and unkind to revisionism. The political trajectory of modern Nigeria cannot be told without acknowledging the foundational role played by President Tinubu in building coalitions, nurturing leaders, and institutionalising progressive governance.
‘’As 2027 approaches, APC remains focused on governance, economic reforms, national stability, and improving the lives of Nigerians. We urge all political actors to rise above polemics and engage Nigerians with ideas, solutions, and verifiable records – not selective memories and convenient amnesia.’’
