Some prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, on Thursday, stayed away from the inauguration of the 344-member campaign council tasked with leading President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the state ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, however, led other APC chieftains to the event, where Governor Ademola Adeleke inaugurated the council.
APC leaders present included the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru; a former National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore; two former Osun deputy governors, Titi Laoye-Ponle and Sooko Lekan Adewoyin; Senator Babajide Omoworare; and Chief Shuaib Oyedokun.
Other party leaders in attendance were the Osun Central Senatorial Leader of the APC, Adeoye Adelakun; former members of the House of Representatives, Ajibola Famurewa and Bukola Oyewo; former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Wale Afolabi; and former Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, Prof. Olu Aina, among others.
Former PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo; Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi; and Osun Accord Party Chairman, Victor Akande, also attended the event.
However, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; the senator representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi; and the APC governorship candidate in the 2026 election, Bola Oyebamiji, were among the prominent political figures absent from the event.
Other notable APC leaders who were absent included the state party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal; former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye; the Executive Director of Project Implementation at the Federal Housing Authority, Abuja, Remi Omowaiye; and a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Adebayo Adeleke.
Addressing the gathering, Akande said securing victory for Tinubu should be the priority of eligible voters across the South-West.
He said, “Today, we have one of our sons in Yorubaland as President of Nigeria, and he is entitled to two terms in office. We are all praying that he gets his second term. I learnt that in Osun State, Governor Adeleke has been asked to lead the people of Osun State to achieve two million votes on January 16, 2027.
“I remember that is my birthday, and I hope you will all rejoice with me at the end of that day that the Yoruba son who is President of Nigeria will continue. May God give us success.”
Speaking at the event, Basiru said all stakeholders in the state must set aside their differences and work towards Tinubu’s re-election, following the President’s decision to appoint Adeleke as the coordinator of his campaign in Osun.
“The Governor called me yesterday evening to inform me about this inauguration. I have an engagement in Kaduna State this afternoon, but I said I must be here this morning before proceeding to Kaduna because this is my base and we must prioritise it. Everybody who matters in Osun politics is here today. As National Secretary of the APC, I am, by my position, the most senior political office holder in Southern Nigeria today.
“It is in President Tinubu’s wisdom that he chose Governor Adeleke as his campaign coordinator in Osun. For us in Osun State, irrespective of our feelings, ambitions and scheming, we must abide by the vision of President Bola Tinubu and support Governor Ademola Adeleke to be successful in this exercise. I want to plead with all of us in Osun to come together and work with our Governor, irrespective of our political party, and support him to deliver a massive victory for the President.
