LAGOS — Former Osun Central Senator and South-West Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Professor Olusola Adeyeye, has dismissed predictions that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu faces defeat in the South-West, declaring that a united APC will deliver a decisive victory across the region in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on September 27, 2026, the elder statesman warned political opponents against underestimating the ruling party’s organizational strength, asserting that the APC is actively laying the groundwork to achieve a commanding landslide.
“I make bold: anyone from any party who thinks the next election will be easy for it is suffering self-delusion,” Adeyeye declared. “We in the APC work very hard to win, and I want to assure you that we will win big. I care that we win the South-West, and we are going to shock everybody.”
Historical Electoral Precedent & The Obasanjo Parallel
Addressing hypothetical scenarios regarding regional vote splitting, Adeyeye noted that even under an extreme electoral setback in the South-West, President Tinubu’s national coalition and nationwide spread would still secure his re-election.
To illustrate his point, the former lawmaker drew parallels with the 1999 presidential election involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo:
“In the worst scenario, let us say that Bola Tinubu lost the South-West—I guarantee you he will not,” Adeyeye argued. “But if he does, have we forgotten that another Yoruba man lost the South-West and became the President? Did Obasanjo not lose his ward, lose his polling booth, lose his state, lose his zone, lose every state in the South-West and yet become President?”
Addressing Opposition Movements and Aregbesola’s Influence
Responding to inquiries regarding former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alliance in Osun State, Adeyeye cited the recent August 15, 2026, Osun governorship election outcomes to demonstrate that individual popularity does not automatically transfer to third-party platforms.
While acknowledging Aregbesola’s personal stature, Adeyeye maintained that electoral structures remain the decisive factor:
“If Aregbesola is the candidate, it’s a different matter,” Adeyeye explained. “The truth is he is still a magnificent person, much loved. If he were a candidate, believe you me, anybody would be hard-pressed to beat him in Osun. But where he is not the candidate, even he must not deceive himself that he can automatically take the affection for him to another person.”
Adeyeye concluded by reassuring APC supporters that the party’s South-West campaign machinery is fully engaged in grassroots mobilization to consolidate party unity, resolve internal grievances, and deliver a resounding victory for President Tinubu across all six South-Western states in 2027.
