Why Ajibola Basiru Is Enjoying Growing Popularity In Ogun

The National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, has become an unlikely hero among many disgruntled APC members in Ogun State following his comments on how candidates emerge within the party.

Across party circles, WhatsApp groups and political meetings in Ogun, supporters of aspirants who lost out in the recently concluded APC primaries have been enthusiastically sharing a viral video in which Basiru appeared to suggest that party primaries do not necessarily determine who eventually becomes a candidate.

In the video, Basiru reportedly stated that those who claim certain aspirants did not win primaries were missing the bigger picture, insisting that the party leadership ultimately determines who gets nominated.

“If you claim candidate(s) did not win primary, who will upload the name(s),” he said, adding that “we know there is no primary” and that the party leadership decides those it wants to pick.

The remarks have sparked debate nationally, but in Ogun State they have been embraced by many APC members who believe the outcome of the party’s primaries reflected the overwhelming influence of Governor Dapo Abiodun and his political structure.

The governor’ and his loyalists emerged with tickets across virtually all major positions, consolidating his hold on the state’s APC machinery and reinforcing his status as the dominant force within the party.

However, the outcome left many supporters of former governors Ibikunle Amosun and Gbenga Daniel disappointed.

Both former governors are widely acknowledged to possess formidable political structures capable of influencing electoral outcomes across the state.

Yet their camps secured little or no representation in the ticket allocation process.

Political observers note that both Amosun and Daniel stayed away from aspects of the primary process involving positions they were reportedly interested in, Senate tickets, which their supporters repeatedly described as predetermined.

Nevertheless, both men later participated in the presidential primary that returned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the APC’s standard bearer.

For many of their supporters, Basiru’s comments have provided fresh grounds for optimism.

Within APC circles in Ogun, a growing belief is taking hold that the final list of candidates for the 2027 elections may not necessarily be the same as the list that emerged from the state-level primaries.

Supporters of sidelined aspirants argue that Basiru’s position, coming from the party’s National Secretary and one of the officials directly involved in the administration of party affairs, appears to validate their long-standing claim that candidate selection is ultimately a function of party consensus and national leadership decisions.

Many have interpreted his statement that the authority to upload candidates’ names resides with the party hierarchy as evidence that there is still room for negotiations and political accommodation before the final candidate list is settled.

The expectation in some quarters is that the APC leadership may eventually seek a harmonised arrangement that accommodates the major power blocs within the Ogun chapter of the party, including loyalists of Governor Abiodun, Amosun and Daniel, in a bid to foster unity ahead of the 2027 general election.

Party insiders say such a move would not be unusual in a state where multiple influential leaders continue to command significant grassroots followings and where maintaining internal cohesion could prove critical to the APC’s electoral fortunes.

Whether those expectations are realistic remains to be seen.

Yet for many APC members who felt excluded by the primary outcomes, Basiru’s comments have become more than just a viral video.

They have become a rallying point and a source of hope that the political story of Ogun APC’s 2027 candidates may still have several chapters left to unfold.