Members of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State have been charged to turn the party’s loss in the governorship election into victory in the 2027 general elections.

This was contained in a statement signed and made available in Osogbo on Sunday by a chieftain of the party, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye.

The ex-Osun State House of Assembly lawmaker urged party members to desist from attributing the electoral setback to a particular party leader in the state.

He argued that elections were rarely determined by the activities of a single individual, but stressed that candidate appeal, grassroots mobilisation, party cohesion, campaign strategy and voter sentiment, among other factors, usually contributed to election outcomes.

He warned APC members to resist the temptation of engaging in post-election blame games, but instead undertake a comprehensive and honest assessment of their performance.

“This is not the time to crucify anybody. It is a time for sober reflection, reconciliation and strategic repositioning. No single individual should be made the scapegoat for an outcome that involved many political and electoral factors.

“We must start working immediately on how we can reposition the party to garner maximum votes for President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections in the state.

“We do not have much time left to do that. We must find a way to turn the guber loss to victory for Tinubu and others in the next few months,” Oyintiloye said.

He, however, called for a thorough post-election review to examine the party’s performance from the polling-unit level to the state structures.

He added that constructive criticism was necessary for the survival and growth of any political organisation, but warned against criticism driven by anger, personal grievances or the desire to settle political scores.

“The 2027 general election is already very close. We cannot afford to spend the next period fighting ourselves. The real work of rebuilding must begin now,” he said.

He also urged party leaders to reconnect with grassroots members and voters, listen to their concerns and develop strategies capable of restoring confidence in the party.

PUNCH Online reports that the incumbent Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, was returned elected by the State Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.

Adeleke won the governorship poll with a total of 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the APC, who polled 444,815 votes.