LAGOS: The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that the 2027 general elections will be decided by performance and leadership, not political rhetoric.
The party was reacting to comments credited to the National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, on defections and the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in Lagos.
Aregbesola, speaking at a book launch on Tuesday, had said Nigerians, and not government, would determine the outcome of the 2027 elections. He also cautioned that the defection of some governors to the ruling APC might not guarantee electoral victory, arguing that the 2023 presidential result in Lagos showed that control of state governments does not automatically translate to electoral success.
Responding in a statement on Wednesday, the APC spokesman in Lagos, Mr Seye Oladejo, said the remarks required factual clarification.
“Presidential elections are decided nationally, not by the outcome of a single state, however symbolic,” Oladejo said.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election by securing the required constitutional spread and building the widest national coalition.
“To isolate Lagos from the broader national picture is to misunderstand electoral realities,” he added.
Oladejo described the opposition’s showing in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election as temporary and politically insignificant, stressing that it neither altered the national outcome nor endured beyond that contest.
“Days later, Lagosians reaffirmed their confidence in the APC during the governorship election,” he said.
According to him, subsequent bye-elections across the state further underscored the party’s dominance and grassroots strength.
He argued that the Lagos presidential result, rather than weakening Tinubu’s credentials, reinforced his democratic values.
“That outcome demonstrated his commitment to credible elections and respect for the will of the people,” Oladejo said.
On defections, the APC spokesman maintained that they were not election-winning tools but reflections of political realities.
“Defections happen because of performance, structure, leadership and vision, not coercion,” he said, adding that opposition parties were struggling with internal crises and ideological weakness.
As the 2027 elections draw nearer, Oladejo said the APC remains focused on governance, reforms and improving the lives of Nigerians, urging political actors to prioritise ideas and verifiable records over polemics and selective memory.
