The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress fired back at the former Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for saying the African Democratic Congress would take over Aso Rock and Lagos Government House in 2027.
In a statement signed and released on Sunday by its spokesman, Seye Oladejo, the Lagos APC described Aregbesola’s remarks as “an empty boast” and accused him of turning against the party that made him.
Aregbesola, who served as governor and minister of the interior as an APC member, declared on Saturday that his current party, ADC, will unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
He said this while unveiling a grassroots mobilisation strategy aimed at securing victories both at the federal level and in Lagos State.
Oladejo criticised Aregbesola for slamming the party he had thrived in.
“From Lagos Commissioner to Osun Governor and then Minister, Aregbe ate, dined, and thrived on the APC table. Today, in a desperate bid for relevance, he is busy setting fire to the same house that made him. That, dear Nigerians, is political suicide of the highest order,” he said.
He warned that the former governor’s criticisms of the APC only damaged his own legacy.
“When Aregbe condemns the APC, he is not damaging us – he is shredding his own résumé. Every attack on APC is an attack on the very foundation of his career. It is akin to a man writing his autobiography with an eraser. Nigerians know better than to take such a self-destructive messenger seriously.”
The Lagos APC also attacked the ADC’s electoral credentials, calling the party a “political mirage” and citing its poor performance in recent by-elections as evidence that it was “loud on boasts, empty on substance.”
The party said placing Aregbesola at the helm of ADC’s ambitions amounted to “a recipe for failure” and predicted that the party would “inevitably bite the dust in 2027.”
Oladejo said Lagosians and Nigerians will not be swayed by mere talk but by performance.
He reiterated the APC’s confidence in securing victory in the 2027 elections.
“Lagos and Nigeria are not conquered by soundbites. Our people vote for performance, not fairy tales. The APC’s record is visible on the roads, in our schools, in our hospitals, and in our reforms. ADC, on the other hand, remains a political mirage – loud on boasts, empty on substance.
“The woeful and embarrassing performance of the ADC in the recent by-elections should give them no cause for hope. They need to first learn to be humble before they inevitably bite the dust in 2027.
“In 2027, Lagosians and Nigerians will once again choose consistency over confusion, credibility over contradictions, and competence over comedy. The APC will be rewarded for delivery, while Aregbe and his ADC will be reminded that betrayal is not a political strategy.”
PUNCH Online reports ADC has grown significantly since the Abubakar Atiku-led coalition of opposition forces formally adopted the party as its platform to challenge the ruling APC.
Aregbesola spoke on Saturday when the leader of the Labour Party’s Conscience Forum, Moshood Salvador, formally joined ADC, along with his members.
The event drew the presence of the Lagos State leadership of the party, as well as zonal and ward leaders of the Conscience Forum across the 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs of Lagos.
However, APC has consistently maintained its confidence ahead of the 2027 elections.
PUNCH.
