Osun Poll: Reconnect With Nigerians or Forget 2027, APC Vatsa Tells Tinubu
The outcome of the Osun State governorship election has triggered a fresh warning within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with a party chieftain, Jonathan Vatsa, telling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he must urgently reconnect with Nigerians or risk losing the 2027 presidential election.
Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Niger State, said the Osun result should be treated as a political alarm bell rather than dismissed as an isolated state election.
Speaking with journalists in Minna on Monday, Vatsa argued that the defeat exposed the growing disconnect between political elites and ordinary Nigerians, insisting that governors and other influential figures currently relied upon by the President could no longer guarantee electoral victory.
According to him, the presence of several APC governors and prominent party leaders in Osun, followed by the party’s failure to secure victory, should force the Presidency to reconsider its strategy ahead of 2027.
“For the number of APC governors that gathered in Osun, and for them to come back empty-handed, it is an indication that they have lost the confidence of the people.”
‘Osun is a warning from the Nigerian people’
Vatsa said the Osun election had demonstrated that voters were becoming less susceptible to political endorsements, party machinery and the influence of political heavyweights.
He argued that the electorate was increasingly judging governments by the realities of everyday life, particularly food prices, employment, security and access to basic services.
“The political atmosphere in the country has changed completely,” he said.
“Nigerians are no longer moved by big names, party structures or the endorsement of political elites. What the people want now is food on their table, jobs for their children, security in their communities and visible impact from government in their daily lives.”
The APC chieftain said the development should concern the ruling party because the same electorate that rejected political pressure in Osun would have a much bigger opportunity to express its verdict at the 2027 general election.
Subsidy funds and the burden of hardship
Vatsa also criticised the handling of funds arising from the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that too much of the resources had been channelled to state governments without corresponding improvement in the living conditions of citizens.
He acknowledged that the President might have made mistakes in relying heavily on governors to deploy the additional resources but said there was still time to change course.
“It is not too late to correct this mistake and connect directly with the people,” he said.
According to him, many Nigerians are increasingly holding the Federal Government responsible for the economic hardship confronting them, even where some responsibilities fall within the jurisdiction of state governments.
He accused some governors of failing to translate increased revenues into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
“These are things that state governors should provide with the excess money in their disposal, but what you see are abandoned projects and hunger across states,” he said.
‘Governors cannot deliver Tinubu in 2027’
Vatsa’s most direct warning was reserved for the political structure around the President.
He argued that Tinubu should not assume that governors, ministers, lawmakers and other political elites would automatically deliver their constituencies in 2027.
“Mr. President should know by now that many of the elites he is relying on, including ministers, lawmakers and governors, are not working in his best interest,” he said.
He alleged that some of these political figures had become disconnected from their constituents and had consequently lost credibility among voters.
Vatsa warned that continued reliance on politicians who no longer command popular support could become a liability for the President’s re-election campaign.
APC’s internal opposition
Beyond economic hardship, Vatsa identified internal divisions within the APC as another factor behind the Osun setback.
He said the ruling party was facing opposition not only from rival political parties but also from elements within its own ranks.
“There are so many oppositions within the party, and this will also play out in the general elections in 2027,” he warned.
He urged the President to address internal grievances before they become more damaging during the general election.
‘The people are wiser now’
Vatsa said the Osun election had also demonstrated that Nigerian voters were becoming increasingly determined to protect their votes.
He argued that the electorate had entered a new phase in which intimidation, political influence and elite endorsements would no longer be enough to guarantee electoral victory.
“The people are wiser now, they are stronger in their decision, they are determined to resist intimidation and ready to vote according to their conscience,” he said.
For the APC chieftain, that change should fundamentally alter how the Presidency approaches the next election.
He urged Tinubu to move beyond elite consultations and reconnect directly with ordinary Nigerians, particularly those bearing the brunt of economic hardship.
A warning the APC cannot afford to ignore
Vatsa said the Osun result should be interpreted as a broader warning ahead of 2027, rather than merely a setback for the APC in one state.
“If, despite the full solidarity of the APC structure in Osun, the governorship result did not favour our party, then the message is crystal clear,” he said.
He attributed the outcome to what he described as widespread hunger, unemployment, economic hardship and public resentment against political elites perceived to be living comfortably while ordinary Nigerians struggle.
His message to Tinubu was therefore direct: the road to 2027 will not be secured by political structures alone.
The President, he said, must demonstrate that government is working for the people, ensure that public resources translate into visible benefits and rebuild trust with the electorate.
“If he is interested in winning the 2027 election, he must urgently return to the grassroots and reconnect with the Nigerian masses,” Vatsa said.
With the Osun election now being interpreted within the APC as a warning shot, the party faces the more difficult task of determining whether the result was a localised electoral upset—or an early expression of a national mood that could shape the 2027 presidential contest.