Oyebamiji leads Osun APC parallel presidential campaign council

Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the August 15, Osun State Governorship poll, Bola Oyebamiji. Photo: Oyebamiji

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has unveiled a 168-man presidential/parliamentary campaign council that will work for the re-election of President Bola 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, stated that the campaign council was put in place to further strengthen the party’s chances in the poll.

Lawal further said the party had carefully selected leaders and members in the state who form the council to actualise its collective desire of ensuring all-round victory for the President and its National and State Assembly candidates.

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, Tajudeen Lawal, is to serve as the Deputy Director-General.

Oyebamiji’s running mate in the election, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu are to serve as Assistant Director-General 1 and 2, respectively.

The three APC senatorial candidates and the nine House of Representatives candidates were also listed as members of the council.

The list also has former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Foluke Etteh, four ex-deputy governors, Adeleke Adewoyin, Iyiola Omisore, Titi Laoye-Ponnle, and Adegboyega Alabi, Gen Alani Akinrinade (retd), Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, the party’s spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, among others.

“Following the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) by the National Leader of our party and its presidential candidate, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on October 14, 2026 in Abuja, and the subsequent inauguration of the Osun State PCC by the Executive Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, on October 22, 2026, we consider it extremely important to therefore bolster the efforts of the PCC to deliver massive votes for the re-election of our President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the forthcoming general elections.

“We have therefore carefully selected All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and members in Osun State to actualise our collective desire of ensuring all-round victory for the President as well as our National and State Assembly candidates.

“As a party, we are resolute to work in unison with every member of the state presidential campaign council to deliver on our mandate as we muster concerted efforts to ensure victory for all the National and State Assembly candidates of our great party,” the statement read.

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The APC’s formation of a separate campaign council comes after Governor Ademola Adeleke inaugurated the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in Osun State on October 22.

Adeleke was named coordinator of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, a move that has sparked controversy among members of the APC and Accord Party in the state.

Those present at the inauguration included the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; former governor, Chief Bisi Akande; and former deputy governors, Senator Iyiola Omisore and Mrs Titi Laoye-Ponnle, among others.

However, the former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; the party’s governorship candidate in the August 15 election, Bola Oyebamiji; the state APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal; and other prominent party figures were absent.

In a statement issued the following day, Lawal complained that the party’s leadership in the state had not been consulted in the composition of the campaign council.

Speaking at the inauguration, Adeleke insisted that he would work only for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, ruling out any agreement to support APC candidates contesting legislative seats in the state.

Meanwhile, activities towards the re-election campaign for Tinubu have been gathering momentum in Osun as stakeholders and groups devise various strategies to woo the electorate.

The PUNCH reported that Oyetola called for unity among political interests in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections, expressing confidence that Tinubu could secure 1.5 million votes in the state.

The former Osun State governor urged members of the APC to intensify grassroots mobilisation and work towards securing maximum votes for all the party’s candidates in the elections.