Following the defeat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Osun State governorship election, national youth leader Dayo Israel has urged the ruling party to re-evaluate its campaign strategies, grassroots engagement, and internal structure ahead of the 2027 general election.
The advice follows the victory of Accord Party candidate Ademola Adeleke, who secured 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji’s 444,815. Reflecting on the outcome in a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday, Israel noted that the governor’s widespread grassroots appeal, often dismissed by political rivals, was a defining factor in the poll.
Israel argued that political opponents had misjudged the governor’s public performances, noting that singing, dancing, and accessible public engagement served as powerful political tools.
“Governor Adeleke’s dancing was never a weakness. It was a political language. It humanised him, made him accessible, and created emotional proximity with ordinary voters,” Israel stated.
He highlighted that “politics is not only policy” but also “emotion, identity, presence and belonging.” The youth leader warned the ruling party against prioritising elite appeal over grassroots connection.
“Our party must therefore stop confusing sophistication with electoral value. A candidate may dominate elite discourse and still fail to move a ward. Another may be mocked in elite spaces and still command overwhelming loyalty on the ground,” he added.
Israel also credited Afrobeat star Davido, the governor’s nephew, with playing a crucial role in mobilising young voters by using his personal credibility, music, and digital reach to support the campaign.
“Davido did not treat his role as symbolic. He was placed at the centre of youth mobilisation and used his influence, networks, music, digital reach and personal credibility to connect the campaign to a generation,” Israel wrote, asking: “Who are the Davidos in the APC?”
Calling for urgent internal reforms, Israel stressed that the election loss highlighted the need for early campaign preparation, stronger youth and women’s wings, and swift reconciliation of intra-party disputes.
“A campaign council must be formed early, properly funded, given clear deliverables and held accountable. Anything less is theatre, not strategy,” he warned.
Israel reflected on the lessons of the contest: “President Tinubu gave us a democratic contest. Governor Adeleke understood his people. Davido understood his generation. The question is whether the APC understands its own lesson.”