The political battle over the 2027 governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has taken another turn, with the group of six governorship aspirants known as the G6 rejecting claims that it has abandoned its ambition or accepted the ongoing reconciliation process as a resolution to the party’s internal contest.
The group described recent comments by Senator Sharafadeen Alli as premature, maintaining that there is currently no agreement on who should emerge as the APC’s consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election in the state.
The G6, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said its members remained committed to the overall interests of the APC and were prepared to work towards the party’s success at the polls.
However, it insisted that any decision on a consensus candidate must come through a credible, transparent and broadly acceptable process.
According to the aspirants, their position on the governorship contest has not changed, despite the reconciliation efforts being undertaken by various stakeholders within the party.
The group said it would support whoever President Bola Ahmed Tinubu eventually endorses as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate, stressing that its members remained loyal party members who were interested in the success of the organisation.
“We are good party members and will gladly work for the victory of our great party with anyone President Bola Ahmed Tinubu picks as the consensus candidate,” the statement said.
The G6, however, took exception to the suggestion that the party had already settled on Senator Alli as its governorship candidate.
The group stated that the APC in Oyo State had not officially produced a candidate for the 2027 governorship election, accusing Alli of presenting himself as the party’s candidate before the completion of the process.
“Oyo State APC is yet to have a governorship candidate, and Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who has been parading himself as the candidate of our great party, is living in delusion,” the statement added.
The disagreement comes at a time when the Oyo APC is seeking to strengthen internal unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party has been engaging various stakeholders as part of efforts to address disagreements among members and aspirants who are positioning themselves for elective positions.
For the G6, however, reconciliation alone is not enough to resolve the issues surrounding the governorship race. The group believes that the process for selecting the party’s candidate must be reviewed in a way that gives all stakeholders confidence in the outcome.
It argued that the eventual consensus should reflect the interests of the wider party membership rather than serve as a platform for one aspirant to impose himself on others.
“While G6 is committed to the success of our party in the 2027 general elections, we insist that the process must be reviewed to produce a consensus that will ensure the emergence of a candidate most party members can accept and support, not an aspirant using propaganda in a bid to impose himself as the party’s candidate,” the statement said.
The group further appealed for an approach that would promote unity and prevent the governorship contest from creating deeper divisions within the party.
The G6 also reiterated its description of the APC as “one indivisible family with a strong electoral profile,” expressing confidence that President Tinubu would play a role in guiding the party towards an acceptable solution.
The statement was endorsed by former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Rauf Olaniyan; Prince Musbau Asanike; Barrister Akeem Agbaje; Engr. Hakeem Alao Oyedele; and Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare.
The latest reaction followed comments made by Senator Alli during a media interaction organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, in Ibadan.
Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly and is one of the APC members seeking the party’s governorship ticket, spoke during the “A Day with BSA” media engagement.
At the event, the senator said reconciliation efforts within the Oyo APC were progressing and expressed optimism that the party would overcome its internal disagreements before the 2027 election.
Alli claimed that one of the members of the G6 had met with him on Monday and assured him of the group’s willingness to cooperate with the reconciliation initiative.
He also disclosed that he had recently travelled to Abuja, where he held discussions with another governorship aspirant on possible ways to resolve the issues confronting the party and strengthen its chances ahead of the next election.
The senator said he had been reaching out to party members and aspirants as part of his personal efforts to promote unity within the APC.
“On my part, I have also been going round to reconcile with members, both the governorship and the senatorial aspirants. I can tell you this party is going to resolve all that you think is a crisis,” Alli had said.
However, the G6’s response indicates that the reconciliation process has not resulted in a final agreement on the governorship ticket.
While the aspirants did not reject the idea of reconciliation, they made it clear that they still expect the party to revisit the process through which its consensus candidate will be determined.
Their position could further fuel discussions within the Oyo APC as different aspirants continue to position themselves for the 2027 governorship race.
The group’s statement also suggests that its members are willing to put aside their individual ambitions if a consensus candidate is selected through a process that enjoys the backing of the party’s leadership and members.
By stating that they would support any candidate chosen by President Tinubu, the aspirants appeared to draw a distinction between their opposition to the current process and their commitment to the APC as a political organisation.
The unfolding situation is expected to remain a major issue within the Oyo APC as the party works to reconcile competing interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
For now, the G6 has maintained that no consensus candidate has emerged and that the governorship contest remains open.
The aspirants have also reaffirmed their willingness to support the party at the polls, provided the process leading to the emergence of its candidate is transparent, credible and acceptable to the wider membership.
The group’s latest position has therefore kept the issue of the APC governorship ticket alive, despite ongoing efforts by party stakeholders to present an image of unity and reconciliation ahead of the 2027 electoral contest.
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