Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and frontline 2027 Oyo State gubernatorial aspirant, Barr. Akeem Adedeji Agbaje, has called for a complete reorientation within the party towards internal democracy, transparency, and genuine reconciliation ahead of future elections.
Speaking during a live interview on the popular political programme Political Circuit on Fresh FM 105.9 Ibadan, hosted by Mayor Isaac Brown, Barr. Akeem Agbaje offered candid reflections on the 2023 general elections and the lessons the APC must learn to reposition itself for electoral victory in 2027.
The seasoned lawyer and businessman, who was a major contender in the 2023 APC governorship primary, maintained that the manner in which the primary election was conducted laid the foundation for the party’s eventual poor performance in the general elections.
“The truth is that the way we ran the primaries at that time led to the eventual result of the general elections. The progressive culture we inherited was one in which the party owned everybody, but we found a situation where aspirants began to own the party, its structure and leadership. That was the beginning of disunity and mistrust.”
Barr. Akeem Agbaje explained that the struggle by aspirants to take control of the party structure at the expense of collective participation weakened the APC’s internal cohesion and public image. According to him, most aspirants, directly or indirectly, attempted to influence the process in their favour, creating division among loyal members.
He emphasized that he remained calm and principled throughout the process because, as he put it, “there was no benefit in shouting when the outcome was already visible to all.”
He further disclosed that he neither defected from the party nor worked against it in the general elections, clarifying that while he was not formally invited to play an active campaign role for the governorship candidate, he continued to support APC candidates where given the opportunity.
“I was the State Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council in 2023 and worked tirelessly for the success of our presidential candidate,” he stated. “For the governorship election, I was not part of the campaign structure, but I did not act against the party. I only worked where I was invited, particularly in the State House of Assembly elections in my local government.”
On reconciliation and party rebuilding, the scion of Agbaje la’yeye, reiterated that the APC in Oyo State must return to its founding ideals of fairness, inclusiveness, and discipline to restore public confidence.
“In a true progressive environment, aspirants submit to the leadership of the party, not the other way around. You can’t be an aspirant and at the same time be the leader of the party, the two can’t co-exist together. Leadership must have courage, and aspirants must have humility. Without both, we will continue to repeat the same mistakes.”
Responding to questions about the APC’s performance in the Oyo State House of Assembly and the recently concluded bye-election in Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Barr. Agbaje was forthright in his assessment, attributing the poor results to external interference and imposed candidacies.
“Abuja should encourage Oyo APC to choose their various candidates through free and fair primaries. Imposition cannot work in APC and Oyo State politics. The message was very clear from the Ibadan North bye-election, we will not accept imposition.”
He noted that the people of Oyo State have repeatedly demonstrated their preference for fairness and grassroots inclusion, and warned that the party must learn from those signals if it intends to regain power in 2027.
Barr. Akeem Agbaje stressed that rebuilding the APC must begin with trust and collective sacrifice, adding that only through genuine reconciliation and respect for internal democracy can the party earn back the people’s confidence.
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“We can subsume personal interest under the interest of the party. That’s the only way we can regain the faith of our members and the people we seek to serve.”
He concluded with a note of optimism, expressing faith that if the APC learns from its past mistakes and restores internal democracy, it will regain the trust of Oyo people in future elections.
“What we need now is courage and sincerity. Let’s choose unity over ambition, and discipline over sentiment. That’s the only way forward for our great party.”
