A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouk Aliyu, has called for a review of the party’s candidate-selection process following its defeat in the Osun State governorship election.

Aliyu made the call during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, saying the APC needed to prioritise candidates who command broad support within the party to improve its chances of winning future elections.

“So in terms of choice of candidates, probably that’s what we have to look at to make sure that probably the person who has the largest followership amongst our party members is good for election,” he said.

According to him, disagreements surrounding the choice of its candidate contributed to the party’s poor performance in Osun, as some members withheld their support due to unresolved issues stressing that the party should ensure that its candidates have sufficient backing among party members before elections.

He also attributed the defeat partly to overconfidence among some APC supporters, who, he said, expected the Federal Government to play a major role in securing victory for the party.

“But, you know, members of our party, I think, also had an overkill. Some, I mean, downtrodden thought that probably federal government will come and just drive everybody and write the results,” he said.

The APC chieftain said the outcome should serve as a warning to the party ahead of 2027 general elections, urging its members to take voters and grassroots mobilisation more seriously.

Aliyu further acknowledged the role of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s performance and advantage of being in office in his re-election, noting that public perception of the governor’s administration contributed to the outcome.

“And also, above all, the incumbency factor played a great role in Osun state. The sitting governor, he did very well for his people, according to what the members of the public in Osun state are saying. That he did well, so that also contributed to him being re-elected,” he said.

He urged APC governors to improve their performance and deliver more better results to strengthen the party’s standing among voters.

Aliyu said the party must also accept collective responsibility for the Osun defeat rather than placing the blame solely on its members in the state.

He maintained that the period leading up to 2027 elections should be used to address weaknesses in the party’s approach to governance and rebuild public confidence.

He said APC members must demonstrate through their performance that the party deserves another opportunity from Nigerians when the next elections arrive.