Tinubu Became President By Design, Not Chance – APC Responds To Aregbesola

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected claims by former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, that the defection of governors to the party will not influence the 2027 elections.

In a statement released by its spokesman, Oladejo Seye, the APC argued that Aregbesola’s comments were an attempt to exaggerate the opposition’s performance in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election.

The party stressed the need to set the record straight and address what it described as misleading conclusions and omissions in the former governor’s statement.

According to the APC, “It is intellectually misleading to treat Lagos in isolation from the national context. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in 2023 was not accidental; it was achieved through building the broadest national coalition, winning the constitutional spread, and securing support from Nigerians across multiple regions. Presidential elections are won nationally, not by the outcome in a single state, however symbolic. To suggest otherwise either misrepresents electoral realities or deliberately misleads.”

The statement further noted, “Aregbesola conveniently overlooks that the so-called opposition ‘victory’ in Lagos was limited and did not change the national result. Days later, in the governorship election, Lagosians reaffirmed their confidence in the APC, returning the party to office. Subsequent off-season bye-elections across the state also produced decisive victories for the APC, reflecting its strong grassroots presence, organizational structure, and enduring support in Lagos.”

The APC concluded, “Rather than diminishing President Tinubu’s credibility, the Lagos presidential election results strengthened his democratic credentials. That an opposition candidate could win in a state governed by his party demonstrates the integrity of the electoral process under his watch and confirms his commitment to credible democracy.”