Group Warns APC Against Ogunesan’s Oyo North Senate Ticket, Predicts Electoral Setback in 2027
Group Warns APC Against Ogunesan’s Oyo North Senate Ticket, Predicts Electoral Setback in 2027
By Matthew Eloyi
A civil society group, the New Age Transformative Leadership for Good Governance, has cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against ratifying Mrs. Hannah Ogunesan as its candidate for the Oyo North Senatorial District, warning that the decision could cost the party the senatorial seat, the governorship and the presidential vote in Oyo State in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the National Coordinator of the group, Dr. Ak Peters, said endorsing Ogunesan’s candidacy would amount to “political self-sabotage” rather than a strategic move toward electoral victory.
“We state as stakeholders who want APC victory in 2027: loyalty requires truth. Ratifying Mrs. Hannah Ogunesan for Oyo North Senate is not a misstep. It is political self-sabotage that hands the opposition a landslide,” Peters declared.
Describing his remarks as “a warning and not an attack,” he said the party risked swift political consequences if it proceeded with the ticket.
Peters argued that Ogunesan’s association with the administration of the late former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, remained a major electoral liability, claiming that the administration had alienated grassroots supporters whose grievances had yet to heal.
According to him, expecting party loyalists to overlook those grievances could result in voter apathy, which he said would translate into electoral defeat.
The national coordinator also questioned Ogunesan’s capacity to unite the district, alleging that political differences within her own family could become a campaign issue for the opposition.
He further contended that Oyo North’s conservative and religious demographics made the timing of presenting a female candidate politically disadvantageous, warning that such a move could alienate traditional rulers, religious leaders and rural voting blocs.
Peters also cited what he described as an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation into Ogunesan’s tenure, alleging that it would provide opposition parties with ammunition to challenge the APC’s anti-corruption credentials.
He warned that retaining the ticket would trigger internal sabotage within the party, lead to the loss of the Oyo North Senate seat, and ultimately weaken the APC’s chances in both the governorship and presidential elections in Oyo State.
“You cannot win Oyo without Oyo North,” he said, adding that the party needed “a unifying candidate, culturally attuned to the district’s realities and free from EFCC baggage.”
Peters described the proposed candidacy as “a poisoned chalice,” insisting that proceeding with it would undermine the party’s electoral prospects and national credibility.
Earlier, the Deputy National Coordinator of the group, Dr. Mohammed Sani Abubakar, criticised the conduct of party primaries across the country, alleging that they failed to reflect the will of ordinary Nigerians.
He argued that the emergence of candidates through the influence of powerful individuals rather than the preference of party members undermined democratic principles.
“What is democracy if the will of the people is not respected?” Abubakar asked.
He maintained that democracy should reflect the choice of the majority rather than the preferences of a few influential political actors, describing any contrary process as an abuse of democratic values.
The group said its intervention was motivated by its commitment to promoting good governance and safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic process.
