Folarin Vows APC Will Reclaim Oyo State in 2027

Former Senate Leader and the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, has declared that the party in Oyo State has thoroughly analyzed its past defeats and is now poised to reclaim the state in the 2027 general elections.

Folarin made these assertions on Friday during a personal celebration: his elevation from the title of Aare Alaasa Olubadan of Ibadan land to the more senior position of Agbaakin Olubadan of Ibadan land by the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja.

Addressing journalists at the event held at the Olubadan Palace, Folarin acknowledged the party’s losses to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in both the 2019 and 2023 gubernatorial contests. However, he maintained that the key lesson has been learned, stating that all chieftains and leaders of the party have now “resolved to work together” with a united front to secure victory in the next cycle.

The former Senate Leader revealed that he had recently conveyed this message of optimism and resolve directly to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. “I met the president recently in Abuja. The meeting went very well. We brainstormed on how we could improve our results in Oyo State and I told him that we have the capacity to do that,” Folarin stated. He stressed that the primary objective for himself and all APC members is to ensure the party’s victory in the upcoming elections.

Detailing the party’s renewed strategy, Folarin emphasized a commitment to hard work and wider outreach. “We are going to go round and sell our messages. We will do that again. We are more experienced now,” he said, adding that the President “understands the strategic nature of politics in Oyo State.”

Folarin set an ambitious numerical target for the next election cycle, aiming to significantly boost their performance from the last contest. “We got over four hundred thousand and our aim is to improve it to over six hundred thousand. We will do it,” he declared confidently, reinforcing the party’s determination to unite and win.

Reflecting on his Chieftaincy elevation, Folarin described it as a great opportunity to enhance his service to the people, praising Ibadan’s unique and rancor-free traditional system.