A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged party leaders and members to stop the post-election blame game after the APC’s defeat in the state’s governorship election.

Mr Oyintiloye said rather than apportioning blame, the party should undertake a comprehensive and honest assessment of its performance and use the outcome to turn the defeat into victory in the 2027 general elections.

He made the call while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Osogbo.

He argued that elections are rarely determined by the actions of a single individual, stressing that factors such as candidate appeal, grassroots mobilisation, party cohesion, campaign strategy, and voter sentiment contribute to electoral outcomes.

“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,” Mr Oyintiloye said.

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

Mr Oyintiloye stressed 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 urged party leaders to reconnect with grassroots members and voters, listen to their concerns, and develop strategies to restore confidence in the party.

Mr Oyintiloye described the electoral defeat as a temporary setback rather than the end of the party, noting that political fortunes were dynamic.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the early hours of August 16, declared the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party as the winner of the Osun governorship election.

He polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the APC, who scored 444,815 votes.

The returning officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, who declared the results at the INEC collation centre, said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.

(NAN)