Maroof Asudemade

In football, there is a reason referees are not allowed to wear the jersey of any competing team. The moment a referee begins celebrating goals with one side while the match is still in progress, the spectators naturally conclude that the outcome has already been determined.

That is why many party faithful in Oyo APC were left bewildered when the National Secretary of the party, Dr. Ajibola Bashiru, reportedly addressed Senator Sharafadeen Alli as the APC governorship candidate even before the official declaration of the direct primary election results.

Perhaps the National Secretary possesses a special gift unknown to ordinary mortals. Maybe he can see election results before they are announced. Maybe he has developed a political version of prophecy where tomorrow’s outcome is visible today. If so, he should kindly share the secret with INEC so that future elections can be concluded before ballots are cast.

For a national officer expected to be neutral, such a declaration raises troubling questions. Was it merely a slip of the tongue? Was it a harmless political courtesy? Or was it an accidental unveiling of a script that had already been written long before party members were invited to participate in the democratic process? Party members deserve answers.

If the National Secretary’s statement was innocent, it demonstrates a shocking lack of sensitivity to the feelings of other aspirants who invested time, resources and political capital in the contest. If it was deliberate, then it suggests something far more disturbing; that the primary election was merely a ceremonial exercise designed to legitimise a predetermined outcome.

The greatest danger here is not who eventually emerges as candidate. The real danger is the growing perception that the voices of party members no longer matter.
Political parties do not lose elections simply because they choose weak candidates. They lose elections when their members lose faith in the process. They lose elections when loyal supporters begin to believe that participation is meaningless because decisions have already been made by a handful of powerful individuals behind closed doors.

History is full of examples. When party leaders become kingmakers instead of umpires, resentment grows. When aspirants feel cheated, reconciliation becomes difficult. When supporters conclude that internal democracy is a mere slogan, enthusiasm evaporates. And when enthusiasm disappears, election-day mobilisation suffers.

The APC in Oyo State should be particularly careful. The party has spent years in opposition searching for a pathway back to power. One would expect every stakeholder to prioritise unity, transparency and fairness. Instead, actions such as this provide ammunition to critics who have long accused the party of imposing candidates rather than allowing members to decide.

Dr. Bashiru may not realise the damage such a statement causes. The National Secretary is not just another party chieftain; he is a symbol of the national leadership. Every word he utters carries institutional weight. Therefore, when he publicly identifies a candidate before official confirmation, many members will understandably conclude that the national leadership has already taken sides.

That perception alone is dangerous.
A party cannot preach internal democracy while its top officials appear eager to announce winners before the final whistle. It cannot ask members to trust the process when the process appears to have already produced a favourite son.

The tragedy is that Oyo APC has a genuine opportunity in 2027. Public dissatisfaction with the ruling party exists in many quarters. The opposition should be consolidating its strengths, broadening its appeal and reassuring members that everyone will receive a fair hearing.

Instead, it risks becoming a case study in how to convert political opportunity into self-inflicted wounds. Perhaps Dr. Bashiru should clarify his statement. Perhaps he should reassure party members that no outcome has been predetermined and that every vote cast in the primary matters.
Because if party members begin to believe that candidates are selected before elections are conducted, then the real opposition confronting APC in 2027 may not be another political party.

It may be the disappointment and disillusionment within its own ranks.
And history teaches a simple lesson: a house divided by suspicion rarely wins a battle against a united opponent.