The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against mistaking the defection of governors for an assured victory in the 2027 general election.
Speaking at the launch of a book written by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Aregbesola said Nigeria’s recent electoral history has repeatedly disproved the notion that the number of governors backing a party determines its electoral success.
“There is a dangerous assumption making the rounds,” he said. “That’s because as many as 30 governors are supporting a party, victory at the polls is guaranteed. The evidence does not support this.”
He stressed that the outcome of the 2023 general election clearly contradicts the claim, citing voting patterns across key regions.
“The results of the last election in this country do not validate this belief,” Aregbesola said. “I will use the South-West and South-East as examples to dismantle the argument that governors decide elections.”
Aregbesola noted that despite APC’s dominance of governorship seats in the South-West, the party secured only about 55 per cent of the votes in the region, underscoring that voter behaviour is driven by broader political dynamics beyond the influence of state governors.
