Oyo APC’s Reconciliation Test: Can Yilwatda Finally End the Party’s Cycle of Betrayal Before 2027?
The arrival of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Ibadan for a two-day visit has placed the internal affairs of the Oyo State chapter firmly under the spotlight.
Yilwatda was warmly received by the Oyo APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, his running mate, Hon. Adesoji Michael Adedeji, State Chairman Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, Youth Leader Hon. Olalekan Glory and other party leaders and members. The visit is officially aimed at strengthening unity, mobilising members and consolidating the party’s structures ahead of the 2027 elections.
But beneath the colourful reception lies the bigger question: **Can this visit genuinely heal Oyo APC, or are we simply watching another round of political reconciliation that will collapse once the next election draws closer?**
The timing is significant. Senator Sharafadeen Alli was formally unveiled as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate in July after emerging from the party’s primary, with Adesoji Adedeji as his running mate. The party has repeatedly appealed to other aspirants and aggrieved stakeholders to put their differences aside and unite behind the ticket.
However, reconciliation on paper is not necessarily reconciliation on the ground.
The APC had earlier constituted a reconciliation committee to address grievances arising from its primary elections and the emergence of candidates. Yet, only weeks later, the G6 bloc of governorship aspirants publicly rejected suggestions that reconciliation had already been achieved, insisting that no agreement had been reached and calling for a credible and transparent process.
That is why Yilwatda’s visit matters.
A meeting with the Olubadan of Ibadanland could carry both political and traditional significance, particularly given the longstanding political relationships surrounding Senator Alli and the arguments over the factors that influenced his emergence. But beyond courtesy visits and photographs, what Oyo APC desperately needs is a mechanism for genuine political healing.
The party’s history in Oyo has made one thing painfully familiar: **betrayal, sabotage, internal competition and the political habit of throwing one another under the bus when elections approach.**
That cycle could easily repeat itself.
Although some aspirants and stakeholders have recently moved closer to Alli, including reports of meetings involving former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, Hakeem Alao, Musibau Ashanike and Usman Bakare, the larger question of whether every major stakeholder is genuinely satisfied remains.
This is where the national chairman must be careful.
Oyo APC does not merely need public declarations of unity. It needs **trust, inclusion, fairness and a clear power-sharing understanding** among the various political blocs. Those who contested against Alli must feel that reconciliation means more than being asked to campaign for the winner. They must see a meaningful place for themselves and their supporters within the party’s 2027 strategy.
Otherwise, the smiling photographs of today could become tomorrow’s evidence of another failed reconciliation.
The APC is seeking to reclaim Oyo State after years in opposition, and its leaders have openly acknowledged that unity and grassroots mobilisation will be critical to that ambition.
So, as Prof. Yilwatda begins his engagement in Oyo, the real test is not how warmly he is received.
The real test is whether the party can finally break its familiar cycle.
**Will Oyo APC reconcile for real—or will everyone smile together today, only to start throwing each other under the bus again when 2027 gets serious?**
Only time will tell.
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