APC Fires Back At Aregbesola: ‘Tinubu Didn’t Become President By Accident

According to Ireporter Online, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected remarks by former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola suggesting that the defection of governors to the party would not influence the 2027 elections.

In a statement released by the party’s spokesman, Oladejo Seye, the APC described Aregbesola’s comments as an attempt to highlight the opposition’s perceived academic success in the 2023 presidential election in Lagos. The party emphasized the need to clarify what it described as “sweeping conclusions and convenient omissions” in his statement.

The APC maintained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election was the result of a nationwide coalition, a constitutional spread, and broad support from Nigerians across various regions. The party argued that presidential elections are determined at the national level, and not by the outcome in any single state, no matter how symbolic.

The statement further noted that the opposition’s success in Lagos during the presidential election was limited and did not affect the national outcome. Subsequent governorship elections and off-season bye-elections in the state, the APC said, reaffirmed the party’s control, structure, and grassroots acceptance in Lagos.

According to the party, the Lagos presidential election results underscored President Tinubu’s commitment to credible elections, highlighting the integrity of the process even when opposition candidates won in states governed by the APC. The statement concluded that such outcomes serve as proof of the president’s democratic credentials.