The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially conceded that severe internal wrangling, miscalculations regarding its choice of candidate, and widespread party complacency directly led to its defeat in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election.
The admission was contained in an official press statement released on Monday, August 17, 2026, at 11:30 AM from the APC National Secretariat in Abuja and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka. Addressing political correspondents at the party headquarters, Morka described the loss as a sobering moment and a critical “wake-up call” as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
In the statement, the APC leadership acknowledged that pre-election factional feuds and unresolved primary grievances fractured the party’s vote base across key local governments in the state. ”We must be honest with ourselves and our millions of supporters: the outcome of the 2026 Osun governorship election is a bitter pill to swallow, but it offers us an indispensable opportunity for reflection,” the statement read.
“A combination of internal wrangling, disagreements over candidate selection, and an unhelpful sense of complacency among our ranks undermined our campaign and ultimately cost us the election.” According to party insiders, the choice of candidate sparked deep divisions among various factions in Osun APC, leading to a lack of cohesion during campaigns and low turnout among party loyalists on election day.
Despite the setback, the party emphasized that the Osun defeat would serve as a vital lesson to realign its structures and rebuild unity ahead of the 2027 general elections. Morka reassured party members that the National Working Committee (NWC) will immediately set up a high-powered fact-finding committee to investigate the root causes of the loss in Osun and recommend binding reconciliation steps.
”We hear the message sent by the electorate of Osun State loud and clear,” Morka added during a brief Q&A session at the press briefing venue. “This defeat is not the end of our journey in Osun, but a strong wake-up call. We are taking immediate steps to heal internal wounds, restore party discipline, and ensure that the mistakes made in Osun are never repeated as we approach 2027.”
The APC concluded the statement by thanking its supporters in Osun State for their resilience and urged all party members nationwide to remain steadfast and committed to the party’s broader national agenda.
