Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, has alleged that there is a strong gang-up to divide President Bola Tinubu’s southern votes in the 2027 presidential election.

Osoba spoke on Saturday during the announcement of the result of the APC presidential primary at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Speaking after the announcement of the result, Osoba warned that party members should not be carried away by the votes garnered by the president at the primary, alleging that there is an underground plot to reduce his margin in the south ahead of the 2027 elections.

In recent weeks, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, and Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, have declared their intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.

There were also speculations that former President Goodluck Jonathan may join the race, with the Kabiru Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying he had been cleared to run as the party’s sole candidate.

Osoba described the recent developments as part of a deliberate bid to divide votes and drastically reduce Tinubu’s margin.

“I want to appeal to us all ahead of the coming election: let us not be caught off guard. Many people are saying we have no opponents, but that is a misleading narrative. The enemies are many,” he said.

"As we approach the next election, there is a strong gang-up against us. They are plotting to field several candidates from our region in the South.

"Obi has emerged, Jonathan is quietly waiting in the background, and Makinde has been grandstanding. All these appear to be attempts to divide votes from the South.”

The former governor appealed to APC faithful in the region not to lose focus and to remain determined to vote massively for Tinubu in the upcoming poll.

“Under our governor, President Tinubu has been good to us in Ogun State through a series of developmental projects.

”I hope you will all repay the President’s gesture with your support. Will you do that or not?”

The development comes amid intensified political realignments within opposition camps seeking to reclaim power from the ruling APC and stop Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in office.