Aregbesola Challenges Tinubu To Guarantee Free, Fair Elections In 2027

The National Secretary of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to publicly commit himself to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections in the 2027 general polls.

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Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State, said the much-talked-about defection of governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would not guarantee electoral victory if elections were genuinely free and fair.

He spoke on Tuesday at the launch of a book authored by ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, titled “The Loyalty”.

According to Aregbesola, recent political realignments should not be mistaken for popular support at the grassroots.

He recalled that during the 2023 general election, President Tinubu lost both his local government area and Lagos State to the Labour Party, despite the state being governed by the APC at the time.

“The APC candidate lost in his local government and his state to the Labour Party, even when the governor of the state was APC,” he said.

The former governor further noted that voting patterns in the South-West showed a competitive political landscape, with the ruling party securing about 58 per cent of the total votes, while the remaining votes went to opposition parties.

He dismissed claims that the APC would record a landslide victory in 2027 solely due to the ongoing wave of defections by governors and political heavyweights to the ruling APC.

“All the states won by the Labour Party in the South-East and parts of the South-West were governed by different political parties, including the ruling party,” Aregbesola said.

He stressed that the demand of opposition parties and Nigerians at large was not extraordinary, but fundamental to democracy.

“All we are asking for is for the APC-led federal government to commit to transparent, free, and fair elections,” he added.

Commenting on the theme of Abdullahi’s book, Aregbesola said loyalty should be to principles and causes, not individuals.

“Loyalty must be to a cause, not to a boss,” he said, urging Nigerians to uphold the values of good leadership rather than remaining loyal to individuals who may have deviated from the collective interest of the people.