Dear Ticket Holders and Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I hope this message finds you in good health.
It is no longer news that some candidates emerged through processes that left many party members and aspirants feeling excluded, while others were favoured for reasons best known to the established party structures. Whether or not these perceptions are entirely justified, the APC must recognise that unresolved grievances within the party can become serious liabilities at the general election.
Since the advent of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerians have experienced significant economic hardship. The removal of the petrol subsidy and the broader economic reforms undertaken by the Federal Government have produced some macroeconomic improvements, but the benefits have not yet translated into sufficient relief for many ordinary Nigerians. The World Bank has acknowledged improvements in Nigeria’s fiscal position and economic outlook, while also warning about inflation, poverty and the need for more inclusive growth.
The reality on the streets is therefore important. The street is not smiling. This is not the time to massage egos, celebrate titles or rely solely on established political structures. The APC must recognise and accommodate people and political actors with genuine grassroots credibility. A significant number of aspirants and candidates appear disconnected from the everyday realities of the electorates.
I therefore urge every candidate to undertake a personal and sincere assessment: If the election were held today, how confident could you win your constituency on the strength of your relationship with the people? Not through intimidation. Not through manipulation. Not through political connections. Not through assumptions that party structures automatically translate into votes. But through genuine acceptance by the electorates.
The answer to that question should concern every serious candidate. Many aspirants placed enormous faith in the established structures during the primaries and hoped that an endorsement or anointment would settle the contest. For some, it did. But winning a party ticket is only the beginning. The real test is winning the confidence of the electorates.
The party’s reconciliation efforts are therefore commendable, particularly where genuine attempts are being made to engage aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders. However, reconciliation cannot merely be about appearances. It must produce genuine inclusion, healing and cooperation.
Osun Has Just Given the APC a Warning. The recently concluded 2026 Osun State governorship election should be studied carefully by every APC candidate and strategist. The election was held on August 15, 2026, and the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, lost to the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party. Adeleke polled 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815 and won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
Whatever one’s political interpretation of the result, one lesson is difficult to ignore. Political structures alone do not guarantee electoral victory. The APC should not dismiss the Osun outcome as an isolated event. It should be studied as a warning about voter sentiment, grassroots engagement, internal cohesion, candidate acceptability and the growing importance of connecting directly with the electorates.
In 2027, many of the political actors and institutions that can be mobilised for a particular election will themselves be fighting for their own political survival. Candidates should therefore not assume that support from powerful stakeholders automatically translates into votes at the polling unit. The electorate is increasingly sophisticated. Voters listen, observe and make their own calculations.
Some candidates believe that visiting a powerful stakeholder or securing the support of a political heavyweight automatically gives them control over that stakeholder’s polling units. That assumption can be dangerously misleading. A political leader may command influence, but the voter owns the ballot.
Soon, campaign councils and campaign committees will be constituted. My concern is that the same old structures may once again be recycled, while young, vibrant, credible and community-connected individuals are left outside the decision-making process. If you continue doing things the same way, you should not expect a radically different outcome.
The APC needs people who understand social media and modern political communication. It needs young people who understand their communities. It needs professionals, community organisers, women leaders, youth leaders and grassroots mobilisers who can communicate with voters in language they understand.
Most importantly, it needs people who can tell candidates the truth even when that truth is uncomfortable.
If you have been favoured, nominated or given a party ticket, this is the time to come down from your exalted positions and engage directly with the people. Leave the tinted vehicles occasionally. Visit the markets. Visit the streets. Sit with artisans. Listen to traders. Speak with students and young professionals. Engage religious and traditional leaders. Meet community associations. Talk to people who are struggling to pay rent, feed their families, transport their children to school and cope with rising living costs. Do not wait until a few weeks to the election before discovering the people you are asking to vote for you.
The electorates must not merely see you during campaign rallies. They must know you, understand your character and believe that you understand their problems.
This is not intended as an attack on the APC or on any individual candidate. It is a warning born out of concern for the party and for those who intend to contest elections under its platform. You may dismiss this as social-media noise. You may call it political ranting. You may choose to ignore it. But history has repeatedly shown that political parties that refuse to listen to uncomfortable truths eventually pay a price at the ballot box.
The time to correct weaknesses is before the election, not after the results have been announced. The time to reconcile is now. The time to broaden the political tent is now. The time to engage the electorates is now. And the time to stop assuming that party structures alone can deliver electoral victory is now. The people are watching. The electorates are listening. The ballot belongs to the people.
Prepare accordingly.
Elijah Ugani
Public Affairs Analyst and Commentator Community Mobiliser and Social Change Agent
He writes from the Hills of Ukwortung