The All Progressives Congress (APC) chapters in parts of the South-West have reacted to the party’s defeat in the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, offering different explanations for the outcome while cautioning against interpreting the result as a reflection of the party’s overall strength in the region.

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In Ondo State, the APC Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adeyeluwa Muyideen, attributed the defeat to possible local factors and the performance of the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke. Muyideen said political dynamics vary from one state to another and argued that Osun has its own peculiar political circumstances.

He also rejected attempts to link the defeat directly to the performance of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that state-specific factors may have influenced voters. “Osun may have its own peculiarities. You know, the place has been complicated.

So, we cannot measure what happened in Osun State as equal to that of other states in the Southwest,” he said. Despite the setback, Muyideen expressed confidence that the APC would retain its dominance in other South-West states ahead of the 2027 elections.

The APC in Ogun State, however, adopted a more reflective position. Its Publicity Secretary, Femi Nuberu, said the election outcome represented the decision of the electorate and should serve as a basis for the party to reassess its strategies.

“The election has been won and lost. The electorate have spoken through their voting pattern,” he said, while commending INEC and the Presidency for the conduct of the election. In Ekiti State, APC chieftain Chief Jide Awe went further, saying Adeleke’s re-election was largely driven by the governor’s performance over the past four years.

Awe described Adeleke as the clear choice of Osun voters and urged the APC to return to the drawing board, identify its weaknesses and make necessary corrections. He said the party’s defeat was not the end of its political journey, noting that it could also pursue any genuine grievances through the election tribunal.