2027: APC targets victory, cites 86% success in elections since 2023

All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence in its chances of winning the 2027 general election, citing its performance in off-cycle and by-elections since 2023 and its growing membership across the country.

The National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said the APC had won about 86 per cent of elections conducted since the 2023 general election, arguing that the party’s electoral record placed it in a strong position ahead of the next presidential poll.

Basiru, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the party’s performance should be assessed holistically rather than through isolated electoral losses.

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He said, “Since the 2023 election, in all the four circles of election, off-cycle election and by-election, APC has won about 86 per cent in those elections. And when you have any student scoring 70 per cent, of course, that will be an A grade.”

The APC national secretary acknowledged that the party had lost some governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and local government seats since 2023 but maintained that its overall performance demonstrated its electoral strength.

He cited the governorship victories in Imo, Kogi and Ekiti states, alongside victories in several National Assembly by-elections, as evidence of the party’s continued dominance.

Basiru also pointed to the APC’s performance in the Federal Capital Territory, where he said the party won five of the six area council chairmanship positions and 45 of the 62 councillorship seats.

According to him, the political affiliations of some leaders who defeated the APC in previous elections have since changed, giving the ruling party an advantage ahead of 2027.

He cited Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, whom he said had aligned with the APC’s presidential campaign efforts in their respective states.

He also referenced the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in discussing the political realignments that he argued had strengthened the ruling party.

Basiru dismissed suggestions that the opposition could spring electoral surprises in 2027, arguing that the Labour Party’s performance in the 2023 election was concentrated largely in the South-East.

He said the APC had either emerged first or second in every state during the 2023 presidential election, adding that the party had since consolidated its position in the South-East, where he claimed it now had the support of four of the five governors in the region.

The APC official further argued that political organisation and grassroots mobilisation, rather than individual popularity alone, would determine the outcome of the 2027 election.

He said the party had recorded 12.8 million verified members, contrasting this with the membership figures he attributed to opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Basiru, however, said the APC would not become complacent despite what he described as its historical advantage over other political parties.

“We are not being overly confident. We are working hard, knocking on every door, working every street to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC benefit from the 2027 general election,” he said.

On allegations by opposition parties that the APC was using financial inducements and pressure to attract their members, Basiru denied that the ruling party was paying politicians to defect.

He challenged the opposition to provide evidence of the alleged inducements, insisting that politicians who had joined the APC had publicly explained their decisions.

The national secretary cited the alignment of some defecting governors with President Tinubu’s governance agenda and federal government development projects as reasons for their decisions.

“I’m the national secretary of the APC. I can tell you my party did not give a dime. I will not use the word ‘shishi’ like the other man uses to anybody to join us,” he said.

He added that the APC relied on consultations and persuasion to attract politicians, rather than financial inducements.

Basiru also rejected allegations that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was being used to intimidate opposition figures ahead of the election, arguing that investigations and prosecutions should be allowed to follow due process.

Responding to concerns over the investigation of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, he said criminal liability was not extinguished by the passage of time and maintained that anyone facing allegations should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

He also defended the legal proceedings involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who has become a prominent figure in opposition politics.

Basiru argued that El-Rufai’s political influence should be assessed through electoral performance, citing the APC’s losses in Kaduna State during the 2023 general election when El-Rufai was governor.

He declined to comment extensively on the substance of El-Rufai’s ongoing legal matters, saying professional ethics required him to respect cases before the courts.

The APC national secretary further accused opposition parties of questioning the credibility of the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when decisions did not favour them.

He said the APC had also suffered adverse court decisions, including rulings affecting its primaries, but had not responded by accusing the judiciary of misconduct.

Basiru urged political parties to pursue their grievances through established legal channels, maintaining that the APC was prepared to contest the 2027 election on the strength of its organisation, membership and record in government.