Oyo APC’s Endless Civil War: How Factional Politics and Failed “Consensus” Deals May Destroy the Party Before 2027
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State is no longer a hidden battle. It has become an open political war between powerful interests, legacy blocs, and ambitious gladiators struggling for total control ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
For years, the Oyo APC has operated less like a united political party and more like a fragile coalition of competing empires. The major blocs — the Lamists, loyalists of late former governor Abiola Ajimobi, supporters of Adebayo Alao-Akala, the Teslim Folarin structure, and the camp of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu — reportedly control nearly the entire party structure in the state. Yet, despite controlling about 95 percent of the APC machinery, the groups have consistently failed to agree on a common direction.
The latest controversy surrounding the alleged “consensus” adoption of Senator Sharafadeen Alli as APC’s preferred governorship candidate for 2027 has once again exposed the deep cracks threatening to tear the party apart.
What was presented by some APC leaders as a strategic move toward unity immediately triggered resistance from influential blocs within the party. Supporters of Adelabu openly rejected the endorsement, describing it as unauthorized, divisive, and politically dangerous.
Several stakeholders also warned against what they described as “candidate imposition,” insisting that no individual or bloc possesses the authority to handpick candidates without a transparent internal process.
This recurring pattern has become the APC’s biggest political disease in Oyo State — unresolved factionalism fueled by ego, distrust, and competing ambitions.
Since the party lost power in Oyo State in 2019, efforts to rebuild a unified opposition have repeatedly collapsed under the weight of internal rivalries. Every major political tendency within the party appears determined to protect its own interests first before the collective interest of the APC.
The Ajimobi loyalists want to preserve the legacy and structure built during the late governor’s administration. Adelabu’s camp believes it possesses the grassroots appeal and financial strength needed to reclaim the state. Teslim Folarin’s loyalists remain influential after his governorship run in 2023, while remnants of Akala’s political family still command respect in parts of Ogbomoso and beyond.
Instead of building consensus organically, the party has become addicted to elite arrangements, secret meetings, and controversial endorsements that rarely survive public scrutiny.
Recent reports revealed that even within the APC leadership, there is disagreement over whether any consensus candidate truly exists. The party’s publicity leadership reportedly dismissed claims that the Presidency or the national leadership had endorsed Sharafadeen Alli.
That contradiction alone shows how deeply divided the party remains.
Observers believe the danger for APC is not just the existence of factions, but the inability to manage them. Every attempted imposition now risks triggering fresh rebellion, parallel structures, silent sabotage, or even defections.
Political analysts increasingly warn that unless the Oyo APC resolves its internal cold war early enough, the ruling People's Democratic Party in the state could continue benefiting from the opposition’s self-inflicted wounds.
Even among ordinary supporters, frustration is growing. Many party faithful fear that the APC is gradually repeating the same mistakes that previously weakened opposition parties in Nigeria — internal greed, supremacy battles, and leadership confusion.
On social media and political forums, some Nigerians have described many Nigerian political parties as “coalitions of interests” rather than ideological institutions, where defections and loyalty shifts happen based on personal ambition rather than shared vision.
That criticism now appears increasingly relevant in Oyo APC’s unfolding drama.
The slogan “#Lule” and the repeated emphasis on what some members call “sacrosanct political agreements” have also become symbols of the widening distrust inside the party. Many members no longer believe internal agreements will be respected once power negotiations begin.
For now, one thing is clear: the battle for Oyo APC’s soul has fully started.
And unless the party learns how to manage ambition, accommodate competing power blocs, and avoid controversial imposition tactics, the biggest threat to APC’s return to power in Oyo State may not come from the opposition.
It may come from within.
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