Osun Poll’s Outcome Shows Tinubu Will Lose to Makinde in 2027 — APM

The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has said the outcome of the Osun State governorship election is a warning that President Bola Tinubu could lose the 2027 presidential election to its candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, the party said the victory recorded by the opposition in Osun demonstrated that voters could reject an established political structure when dissatisfied with its performance.

The APM described Osun as politically significant because of Tinubu’s strong roots in the state, arguing that the election result showed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could be defeated at the polls.

“The triumph of the people over the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s governorship election in President Tinubu’s home state, Osun, not only foretastes the defeat that awaits President Tinubu in 2027,” the party said.

The party also pointed to alleged negative reactions from voters towards APC leaders during the election, including claims that some party figures were booed while leaving the state.

According to Abubakar, such developments suggested that the APC could face difficulties mobilising popular support during the 2027 campaigns.

The APM further criticised the Tinubu administration over issues including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, inflation and infrastructure, saying continued dissatisfaction could influence voters in the next presidential election.

The party also claimed that signs of disaffection existed within the APC, citing alleged instances of APC members and candidates chanting the name of the APM at political gatherings.

It argued that Makinde was increasingly being identified by Nigerians with competent and people-oriented leadership.

“Nigerians are gravitating toward Seyi Makinde because they see in him the right presidential candidate with the desired track record of performance, practical blueprint, competence and youthful commitment to reset Nigeria,” the statement said.

Makinde, who has governed Oyo State since 2019, is expected to complete his second term in 2027. The APM said his record in Oyo had positioned him as a credible alternative at the federal level.

The party also warned the APC against attempting to manipulate the 2027 election, saying any effort to undermine the will of voters would be resisted.

The APM said the Osun election had strengthened its determination to challenge the ruling party in 2027 and called on Nigerians to support what it described as a movement to change the country’s political leadership.

The party’s position comes as political parties and presidential aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the Osun governorship result already generating competing interpretations about its possible implications for the next presidential contest.