By Agbi Stephen Omobamidele CAGraM, Deputy National Chairman (South), APC
The outcome of the Osun governorship election has come and gone, but for us in the All Progressives Congress (APC), it is not a moment for lamentation. It is a moment for sober reflection, honest assessment, and strategic correction.
Elections are never won on election day. They are won long before ballots are cast, through loyalty, structure, sacrifice, and the deliberate reward of those who build the party from the ground up.
In Osun, Governor Ademola Adeleke secured 511,067 votes against our candidate, who polled 444,815 votes. The margin of 66,252 votes is a clear reminder that politics is about continuous engagement, not last-minute mobilisation.
As a party, we must be honest: APC remains a strong national force, but strength without coordination, discipline, and reward for loyalty is not enough.
Across Nigeria, our party is sustained by thousands of men and women who have given everything, time, resources, and personal sacrifice, to keep the APC alive. They mobilised when it was unpopular, defended it when it was under attack, and built structures when there was no guarantee of reward.
Yet too often, these same loyalists are sidelined when opportunities arise, while proximity to power becomes the main qualification for recognition. This is neither fair nor sustainable.
We must correct this imbalance.
The Osun experience is not about individuals. It is about a system challenge in political management. Every leader, from former governors to ministers, senators, and party executives, must understand that political office is not a reward for ambition, but a responsibility to build, deepen, and sustain structures.
We must also be honest that APC is not short of people or capacity. We have governors, ministers, legislators, national officers, and millions of committed members. What we sometimes lack is coordination, inclusion, and the disciplined utilisation of our political capital.
The 2026 Osun result shows clearly that while APC improved its vote base, our opponents expanded theirs faster. That is the real lesson.
Going forward, the party must urgently:
• Reward loyalty and measurable contribution.
• Strengthen permanent grassroots structures.
• Reconcile internal divisions early, not late.
• Open space for competent young leaders.
• Integrate support groups such as CAGraM into party structure, not just during election periods.
• Improve data-driven political planning.
• Communicate government achievements effectively.
• Ensure 2027 is a collective responsibility, not a one-man burden.
We must also stop the culture of political exclusion. A party that does not reward its builders will eventually lose its foundation.
Let it be said clearly: APC has benefited immensely from the sacrifices of its grassroots members. They must not become invisible when recognition and responsibility are being shared.
Osun should not breed blame. It should produce reform.
We must rebuild trust, strengthen unity, reward loyalty, and restore confidence in the APC as a party that values its people.
Above all, we must remember that political power is not sustained by positions, but by people.
If we get this right, 2027 will not be a struggle. It will be consolidation.
But if we ignore these lessons, Osun will not be the last warning.
The seed we fail to sow today, we cannot expect to reap tomorrow.
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