Osun Election: Reconnect With Nigerians, APC Chieftain Tells Tinubu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to change the style of his administration and reconnect directly with Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Vatsa, a former Publicity Secretary of the APC in Niger State, gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Minna on the outcome of the Osun State governorship election, which was won by Ademola Adeleke of the opposition Accord Party.

According to him, the outcome of the election was a warning to the APC that relying on governors and established political structures may not guarantee victory in 2027.

“From what transpired at the Osun election, it is obvious that the governors that Tinubu is relying on cannot deliver him in 2027.

“For the number of APC governors that gathered in Osun and for them to come back empty-handed, it is an indication that they have lost the confidence of the people,” he said.

Vatsa said the Tinubu administration had made mistakes in the way resources accruing from the removal of fuel subsidy were channelled to state governments, but added that the situation could still be corrected.

He urged the President to begin dealing more directly with the people by implementing policies that would ease the hardship being experienced by Nigerians.

“I must say that the people of Osun State have spoken the mind of Nigerians with the way they voted during the election. Nigerians are not happy because of the hardship in the midst of excess money in the country,” he said.

Vatsa alleged that the funds accruing from the removal of fuel subsidy were being shared among state governments, with little impact on the living conditions of citizens.

He said Nigerians were consequently holding the Federal Government and President Tinubu responsible for the prevailing economic hardship.

“From the way Osun people voted and protected their votes, it is an indication that Nigerians are ready to vote and protect their votes in 2027.

“This is a clear warning ahead of what APC should expect at the general election because the governors are spreading poverty in their states,” he alleged.

The APC chieftain, however, identified internal opposition within the party as another major factor responsible for the party’s poor performance in Osun.

“There are so many oppositions within the party, and this will also play out in the general elections in 2027,” he warned.

Vatsa said the political atmosphere in the country had changed, noting that voters were increasingly looking beyond big names, party structures and endorsements by political elites.

He added that the electorate was now more interested in purposeful leadership and tangible improvements in their living conditions.