Tunde Adeleke, Osogbo
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as youth leaders in the West Senatorial District of the state have differed over the zoning of the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2026 election.
The APC youth leaders in the district had held a meeting in Iwo, Osun State, where they allegedly signed a communique, calling for the zoning of the party’s guber ticket to the west.
However, youth leaders from Olaoluwa, Isokan, Ede North, Ede South, and Ayedire Local Government on Saturday, distanced themselves from the said meeting and communique.
A youth leader from Isokan local government, Raji Rafiu, urged President Bola Tinubu and the party’s leadership to field the best candidate rather than zoning to ticket to a district.
His words, “I was at home not in Iwo but my name and signature still appeared in the communique, all we need in the APC is the best candidate not the zoning to the west. I urge President Bola Tinubu, Baba Bisi Akande, and H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola to ensure that the party fields the best candidate.”
Similarly, another youth leader, Idris Aderigbigbe, said, “We were called for a meeting, the most important thing is that many youth leaders didn’t come, but there was written and they were being signed for.
“Even most of us were not aware of the purpose of the meeting we were only instructed to come for a meeting and those that were able to go went there while those who were not opportune stayed back all of a sudden we started seeing that we all signed, I was to say we didn’t sign, most of us want even aware of what happened and still saw their signature.”
Reacting, Osun West Senatorial youth leader, Imran Mojeed, refuted allegations that signatures of some youth leaders were forged in the said communique.
He said, “We didn’t agitate for a particular candidate from the western senatorial district rather, we made it known to the president that we have capable hands in the district. We only laid credence to the position of our senatorial leaders who had pleaded that the ticket should be zoned to our district.
“We never forged anybody’s signature in the said advertorial, the meeting which we held to agree on zoning, we carried the APC Senator, Hon. Gbenga Omolaoye along before we convened the meeting. During the meeting, we made video recordings as evidence, so they shouldn’t overflog the issue because what we did evidence evidence-based.
“We are not afraid of any democratic process for APC primaries, we only feel it necessary for the youth to have their voice to that we want the gubernatorial ticket from the west for justice in the progressive family. Those who alleged that we forged their signature can go to court, before they attended the meeting they knew what the meeting was all about.”
