The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has discontinued its parallel presidential campaign structure and renamed its campaign council the Osun State All Progressives Congress Parliamentary Campaign Council.
The party also expanded the legislative campaign council’s membership to accommodate all members of the state executive committee following protests over the initial composition of the campaign team.
The new 183-man council unveiled in Osogbo on Tuesday accommodated all state executives.
According to The PUNCH, ABNTV reports that the Osun APC unveiled a 168-man parallel presidential/parliamentary campaign council that will work for the re-election of President Tinubu and canvass votes for other candidates contesting on the platform of the party in the 2027 general elections.
A statement signed by the Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, obtained in Osogbo on Monday, said the campaign council was put in place to further strengthen the party’s chances in the poll.
The campaign council has the party’s candidate in the August 8 governorship poll, Bola Oyebamiji, as its Director-General, while the state APC chairman, Lawal, will serve as the Deputy Director-General.
The development comes amid a political disagreement in Osun State after the APC Presidential Campaign Council appointed Adeleke, a member of the Accord, as the state coordinator of Tinubu’s campaign during the inauguration of the council in Abuja, on October 14.
Shortly after his unveiling, Adeleke announced a separate 344-member campaign council comprising members of different political parties.
In a counter-move, the Osun APC chapter on Monday unveiled its own campaign structure to mobilise support for Tinubu, appointing Oyebamiji as its Director-General.
But the list was greeted with a protest as four members of the state party executive rejected its composition and demanded an immediate review.
They made their grievances known in a statement signed by them and obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday.
The affected executives are the State Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola; Welfare Officer, Adesola Ayangbile; Assistant Organising Secretary, Rasheed Adeniji; and the Osun APC Ex-Officio, Abiola Ololade.
They expressed concern over the alleged omission of several members of the State Working Committee who, according to applicable guidelines, were expected to be statutory members of the council.
They also said its composition was inconsistent with the earlier presidential directive reportedly naming Governor Ademola Adeleke as the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council in the state.
Adunola and others faulted the omission of several members of the State Working Committee, who they said were expected to be statutory members of the council, insisting that their exclusion raised concerns about consultation and respect for the party’s leadership structure.
“The attention of some members of the Osun State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress has been drawn to the recently released list of the Osun State Presidential Campaign Council.
“Following a careful review, we express our strong dissatisfaction with the composition of the list, which, in our view, does not adequately reflect established party guidelines, due process and the principle of inclusiveness required in constituting such an important campaign structure.
“We, therefore, reject the list in its present form. Of particular concern is the omission of several members of the State Working Committee who, according to the applicable guidelines, are expected to be statutory members of the council.
“The exclusion of these recognised party officials raises serious concerns about consultation, due process and respect for the party’s established leadership structure.”
It also said the composition of the list appeared inconsistent with the earlier presidential directive naming Adeleke as the coordinator of the Tinubu campaign in Osun State.
