The Osun Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is currently facing a significant crisis, and this discord has nothing to do with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who officially left the party a few months ago. The contention now is on who will be the party’s candidate in the upcoming gubernatorial election next year.
Many top APC members in Osun are dissatisfied, believing that Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former governor of the state, has already contested for the same position two times, winning once. They argue that he should allow other qualified candidates to have a chance to run. There are also groups advocating for zoning the governorship ticket.
Recently, a faction within the APC known as the Osogbo Progressives Alliance (OPA) urged President Bola Tinubu to support the zoning of the governorship ticket to the West Senatorial District. They also appealed to the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje and National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru to back this zoning agenda. Ademola Quadri, the coordinator of OPA, stated at a press conference in Osogbo that this agitation aims to address the imbalance in gubernatorial representation in the state and to ensure the party secures victory in the 2026 election. Quadri, highlighted that this zone has not produced a sitting governor in the last 26 years, despite its consistent loyalty to the Progressives family. He emphasized, “We want to express our unwavering support for the transfer of gubernatorial power to Osun West Senatorial District rather than allowing individual ambitions from other districts to dominate the 2026 election.”
City People also spoke to a prominent APC chieftain in the state, who commented, “We are stakeholders in this party. We have worked hard for the previous governors who emerged from our party. Now it is time to allow others to run.” He added, “In 2022, I wanted to run for this position, but I was stopped by Oyetola. In fact, some of our members appealed to me, and we all agreed that he should run. It is high time the party in Osun allows others to compete. Mr. Oyetola, will find it hard against Governor Ademola Adeleke. We have all invested in this party and deserve a level playing field.”
The division within the Osun APC is becoming increasingly alarming. Recently, a faction backing Senator Ajibola Bashiru’s gubernatorial ambition has emerged. Senator Ajibola, now the National Secretary of the party, launched the “Alubarika Movement” a few weeks ago to strengthen his bid for the gubernatorial seat. At an event held at Osogbo City Hall, Coordinating Council were established across all local governments and wards in the state, for the movement to make his ambition a reality.
As of now, the APC chapter in Osun is still deliberating and has not reached a final decision on who will represent the party in the upcoming election. However, there has been recent controversy over campaign posters for Oyetola, that now dots everywhere in Osogbo, which allegedly means he may be preparing to run in the 2026 election. In response, the Osun State chapter of the APC urged the public to disregard these posters, labeling them as the work of disgruntled individuals attempting to destabilize the party. Mr. Kola Olabisi, the Director of Media and Information for the APC, stated, “We know the source of these fake posters and their intention—to unsettle the party and create chaos that neither sits nor stands.”
Another group, the Coalition of Osun All Progressives Congress Interest Groups (COAIG), has also called for the zoning of the governorship ticket to the West Senatorial District, citing the region’s lack of opportunity to govern the state, since 1999. Many party members feel that if the party endorses Oyetola, as its candidate in the upcoming election, it could lead to backlash among party loyalists, even as some groups remain solidly in support of the former governor running again. The battle for the APC ticket is intensifying day by day.
Isaac Abimbade
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