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The Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sunday said the grandiose declaration by the campaign organisation of Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde that its candidate will defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 12 states in the 2027 presidential election is a wishful thinking.
The party said Makinde lacks the political machinery to accomplish such ambition.
The party noted that while political ambition is a legitimate feature of democracy, there is a wide gulf between ambition and capacity, between wishful thinking and electoral reality, and between making bold pronouncements and possessing the political machinery to deliver on them.
Makinde is the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for the presidential election scheduled to hold in 2027.
APC in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Seye Oladejo, said Governor Makinde and his campaign team appeared to have mistaken the privilege of participating in an election for the guarantee of victory.
“In the Olympics, participation is celebrated, but no athlete earns a gold medal merely for showing up at the starting line. Unfortunately, Makinde seems to have appointed himself a champion before the race has even begun, confusing the opportunity to contest with the capacity to prevail.”
The party stated that it is not opposed to political competition, and it welcomes every legitimate participant in the democratic process. But, the 2027 presidential election is not a theatrical performance in which political actors are rewarded for the loudest declarations, nor is it a numerical exercise in which the mere presence of candidates on the ballot paper translates into electoral relevance.
“It is a serious contest that demands national reach, organisational depth, credible political structures, persuasive leadership, a compelling record of service and the capacity to mobilise voters across the federation,” it stated.
APC added that based on the fundamental indices, Makinde’s boast about defeating President Tinubu in 12 states raises more questions about the foundations of his confidence than it offers evidence of his electoral strength.
“Where is the demonstrable national structure? What is the depth of his support beyond his immediate political environment? What coalition of enduring value has he assembled to translate his pronouncements into votes? And what credible evidence supports the suggestion that his political platform possesses the reach to dislodge a sitting president with an established national political network?,” the statement reads.
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