ZACCH: The One Man Who Could Single-Handedly Hand Oyo to APM, Cost President Tinubu in 2027

By Ade Ibitokun

As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the political equation in Oyo State has changed dramatically. For the first time, the incumbent Governor of the state, Seyi Makinde, is running for President on the platform of the APM. This development transforms Oyo from a mere state-level contest into a national presidential battleground.

In such a scenario, the All Progressives Congress, APC, cannot afford the luxury of internal division. Every single vote in Oyo will matter not just for the governorship and legislative seats, but for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid. Yet, within the APC in Oyo State, there is a growing and dangerous concern: the concentration of political influence around one individual, Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service. Many stakeholders fear that if left unchecked, this trend could fracture the party and, ultimately, hand Oyo State to APM while costing the President thousands of votes.

Oyo State has over 3 million registered voters and remains one of the most politically strategic states in the Southwest. In 2023, the APC lost the governorship and performed poorly in several federal constituencies. That loss was partly due to disunity and the perception of exclusion within the party.

With Governor Makinde now on the presidential ballot under APM, his party will naturally be strong at the grassroots in Oyo. APM will have the advantage of incumbency, name recognition, and state structures. The only way APC can compete effectively is with total unity, credible candidates, and a mobilized base. A divided APC in 2027 will not just lose Oyo State — it will weaken President Tinubu’s entire Southwest calculation.

The concern among APC members is not about competence or government service. It is about process and party supremacy. Across the 33 local governments, there is a growing allegation that decisions regarding 2027 candidates — from governor to House of Assembly — are being dictated by one man; Zach Adedeji. The alleged emergence of a family member as deputy governorship candidate has further deepened the internal crisis.

In politics, perception often becomes reality. Whether these allegations are true or not becaus we are still awaiting the National Working Committee to announce the names of all the party candidates, the belief that the party is being run like a personal structure is already fueling resentment. In an election year where the sitting governor is running for President, such resentment is dangerous. It depresses turnout, weakens mobilization, and gives the opposition an easy advantage.

The internal Crisis will definitely becomes APM’s Gain because History has shown that when party members feel excluded, three things happen. First, they withdraw from campaign activities. Second, they stay home on election day. Third, some quietly or publicly support the opposition to “teach the party a bitter lesson.”

If this happens in Oyo in 2027, the direct beneficiary will be APM. We will, in effect, be doing the campaign work for Governor Makinde. The APC will lose not only the state but also deliver a huge vote deficit to President Tinubu at the presidential level which will greatly affects the National Assembly candidates too. That is a risk the party cannot afford after 8 years as an opposition.

The APC is an institution built on sacrifice, loyalty, and collective effort. No individual, no matter how highly placed, should be bigger than the party. Party supremacy is not a slogan; it is the foundation of electoral victory.

President Tinubu needs a strong, united APC structure in Oyo State to win. The party needs to reassure members that loyalty, competence, and years of sacrifice will count more than proximity to power. When we allow the impression that one man controls the party, we weaken the institution and we weaken the President.

It is not too late to correct course. To win Oyo state in 2027 against an incumbent governor running for President, the APC must take urgent steps:

– National Intervention: Changes must be made to leprous candidate list single handedly authored and approved by Zach Adedeji. Because electable candidates are part of the pyramid for a successful federal and state elections.

– The President must act as the National Leader and call all the Governorship Aspirants to a round table and give us a candidate that will be acceptable to all and sundry.

– The President, through the National Working Committee must immediately set up a broad, inclusive reconciliation process involving all tendencies in Oyo.

– Party members must be reassured that the APC belongs to all of us and not to one person who doesn’t even vote in oyo state on election days.

If these steps are taken, the APC can still present a credible challenge in Oyo and deliver the state for President Tinubu come 2027.

The 2027 election in Oyo will be won or lost based on unity. President Tinubu needs Oyo. Oyo APC needs unity. And unity only exists when members believe the party belongs to the institution, not to an individual.

The question before us is clear: Will we put party supremacy first, or will we allow internal dominance to deliver Oyo to APM and cost the President dearly?

For the sake of 2027, the APC in Oyo must choose between the institution or electoral defeat.

Ade Ibitokun writes from
Saki West Local Government Area of Oyo State