2026: Osun APC governorship aspirants back Oyebamiji as consensus candidate

.Gov Adeleke picks Accord Party ticket

.Dr. Olayide emerges PDP flag bearer as Turaki dares Wike

CYRIL MBAH, Abuja

Aggrieved Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants have agreed to adopt and support Chief Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji as the party’s flagbearer for the state’s gubernatorial election scheduled for August 2026.

The aspirants agreed to adopt Oyebamiji after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who allegedly prevailed on them to support one aspirant in the collective interest of the party.

State House sources disclosed that only seven APC governorship aspirants met with the president and decided to step down after the meeting and back Chief Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus governorship candidate for Osun State APC in the forthcoming primary election fixed for Saturday, December 13, 2025.

The aspirants who stepped down are former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh. Senator Iyiola Omisore allegedly boycotted the presidential meeting.

The meeting was convened at the instance of President Tinubu and it took place at the Presidential Villa, but was boycotted by one of the aspirants, Iyiola Omisore, who had earlier described his disqualification from the primary as a huge joke.

Recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary Election Screening Committee disqualified seven, out of the nine aspirants, including former National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, after screening them last week, citing failure to meet APC election guidelines.

The screening committee, headed by Chief Obinna Uzoh, submitted its report to the party leadership last week Friday and concluded that the seven disqualified aspirants failed to meet the mandatory nomination requirements as stipulated by the constitution of the party and cannot participate in the November 15-16 primary election.

According to the committee, the disqualified aspirants included Sen. Iyiola Omisore, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, Oyedotun Babayemi, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Benedict Alabi, Adegoke Rasheed Okiki, and Senator Babajide Omoworare.

The report stated specifically that the aspirants did not provide evidence of sponsorship by at least five fully registered and financially up-to-date party members from each local government area in Osun State, as required under Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s election guidelines, among other infractions.

Only two aspirants, namely Mulikat Abiola Jimoh and Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji were cleared to contest the primary election.
The committee stated that its decision followed a petition by the Osun APC Renewal Group which alleged gross irregularities in the nomination process of some aspirants, adding that rather than apply the petition selectively, the panel extended the same strict scrutiny to all nine candidates, leading to the mass disqualification.

Àlthough the decision, which is still subject to ratification by the National Working Committee (NWC), has sent shockwaves through the APC, with sources close to the affected aspirants describing the outcome as politically motivated, as some of the aspirants vowed to challenge the outcome of the screening, and claimed that some powerful forces in the party are strategically creating the avenue for the imposition of one aspirant as a concensus candidate for Osun State.

Sen. Iyiola Omisore, a heavyweight in Osun politics and former deputy governor, who was widely seen as one of the front-runners, later described the suspension as a huge joke and vowed to challenge the decision at the highest levels.

.Dr. Olayide emerges PDP flag bearer as Turaki dares Wike

The National Chairman of the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Kabiru Saminu Turaki (SAN) has dared the faction led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike to present its candidate for the Ekiti State Governorship Election to enable the world know which of the two factions of the party will be approved and recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Barr. Turaki gave the challenge in Abuja on Wednesday after presenting the PDP flag and Certificate of Return to Dr. Oluwole Olayide, the gubernatorial candidate of the party for the Ekiti State Governorship Election coming up next year.

The National Chairman told the gathering at the prestigious Yar’adua Centre that INEC endorsed the presentation and was duly represented at the event as well as at the primary election which produced the candidate.

Turaki charged the candidate to see his selection as an endorsement and a challenge to help the party win Ekiti State in the election, which will be highly competitive.

He stated that the PDP still remains a party of choice for the majority of Nigerians and urged the candidate to regard his candidacy as a mandate to win Ekiti State for the opposition party.

In a brief response, the PDP candidate thanked the leadership of the party for finding him worthy of the honour and he promised to fly the PDP flag with a sense of responsibility and to visit every local government area of the state and ensure victory for the party.

He commended the primary election Organising Committee for doing a marvelous job despite the daunting challenges that presented themselves before the panel.

Dr. Olayide also promised the people of Ekiti State that voting for him and the PDP will translate into long-awaited liberation and rapid economic transformation for the state.

The gathering was a convergence of prominent members of the PDP from several states including former governors, National Assembly members and ministers as well as the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara.

Share to