Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji is the consensus candidate of the APC in Osun, ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled for today, Saturday, 13th December 2025. He has not only been endorsed by the leadership of Osun APC, President Bola Tinubu has also endorsed him as the Osun APC consensus candidate.
The President’s endorsement follows that of the APC Elders Council (Igbino Agba Osun), led by Engr. Sola Akinwunmi, former Chairman of Oodua Group of Companies, which had earlier thrown its weight behind Oyebamiji. With this decisive move, Oyebamiji has now been positioned as the party’s unified choice going into the primary.
This frontrunner in the Osun governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and former Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has said that he has better credentials and more qualified to pick the ticket as candidate of the party after the primary scheduled for this month.
He said this a few weeks back. “Speaking with newsmen after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, he said that the state needs an experienced administrator and focused manager of his calibre to drive human assets and the mineral resources to the highest pedestal.
“Osun State is estimated to have a population of about five million he said, and we are endowed with human assets and mineral resources. And to drive that state to the highest pedestal. I can tell you that to drive these human assets together with the mineral resources, we need a manager who is focused, who has antecedents, who is credible and knowledgeable, who has character.
“Someone who can sign a signature. I, Bola Oyebamiji, is that candidate and manager who can drive Osun state with the level of credibility where each and everyone of us can have the dividends of democracy. I present myself for the service. I have done it in the past as Commissioner for Finance, working directly with two governors. I resigned as the MD of an investment arm of the government. And the records and antecedents are there,” he said.
On how he intends to weather the fierce competition from former national secretary of the party, lyiola Omisore, he said that he will abide by the decision of the party’s delegates, assuring that he will not fight him.
“Let me start by saying that distinguished Senator Iyiola Omisore is an elder. He is someone that we recognise and honour. And he is not the only one who is contesting for this post. We have about 14 aspirants. And all the aspirants appreciate him. But if you check their dossiers, you will know these are credible people.
“I have said it before that the contest is a friendly match. And whoever the elders decide to pick, we will all support the person. We will not fight nor confront anybody. We are brothers. This is a party. The unity of the party is our word. You can see and recognise that in the last two years, we have not lost a single member to any other party.
And more than millions of other party members have joined us. It shows character. It shows there is unity in the party. It shows the party is organised. It shows it is a party to beat. There is unity. And I can assure you after the primary we will seat down together and work to achieve the best result for the party,” he said.
He defended his decision to leave uncertainty for certainty, resigning his appointment as the Managing Director National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
“I have worked in the banking sector for 28 years. And this is a sector where I was formed. It is a private-oriented sector. It is a sector that you just have to be competent and goal oriented. I have worked there, and I have my sector. I resigned from that opportunity to join the public sector in 2012. I have made my impact and we did very well,” he said.
Before President Tinubu’s endorsement a few days ago, was the news that the party’s apex Elders’ Council, Igbimo Agba Osun, had also unanimously endorsed the former Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), as its consensus candidate.
With just a few days to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Osun State, the party’s apex Elders’ Council, Igbimo Agba Osun, unanimously endorsed Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), as its consensus candidate.
The Elders’ Council described Asiwaju Oyebamiji as the preferred flag-bearer of the party for the 2026 governorship election. The endorsement followed a comprehensive screening exercise conducted by the council, during which no fewer than 12 gubernatorial aspirants were assessed.
A member of the council said the decision was informed by Oyebamiji’s outstanding leadership records across both the private and public sectors, as well as his clean and verifiable credentials and his popularity in the state.” The council gave significant consideration to the recommendations of the APC Repositioning Committee, submitted in 2024, which emphasised that the long-standing agitation for power shift to Osun West Senatorial District should be a major factor in selecting the party’s candidate.
The Elders’ Council reportedly also considered previous communications from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, signalling the President’s preference for a candidate from Osun West in the spirit of fairness and equity. To this end, a former national executive of the party was said to have been asked to step down, with assurances of an ambassadorial appointment soon.
It was further learnt that the decision of the Agba Osun played a major role in the public declaration of support for the AMBO project by a prominent member of the council from Iwo Federal Constituency, Professor Deremi Abubakar, who openly flagged off the governorship movement days ago.
During that week, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, pulled out of the contest.
The former Senate spokesperson announced his withdrawal in Osogbo, saying his decision followed careful reflection on his responsibilities and engagements with key stakeholders.
“Considering the enormous responsibilities of my current office as National Secretary of our great party and after due consultations with our esteemed leaders and stakeholders, particularly the Leader of our party and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it has become necessary to emphatically state that I shall not be contesting the 2026 Osun State governorship election,” he declared.
However, reliable sources also disclosed that the AMBO campaign structure is already reaching out to supporters of other aspirants in an effort to build a united and formidable front ahead of the election.
Although the APC governorship primary is scheduled for December 13, 2025, political observers believe that the coast is clear for Asiwaju Oyebamiji to emerge as the party’s consensus candidate ahead of the August 8, 2026 governorship election, where the APC hopes to unseat the incumbent governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke. But can Oyebamiji deliver Osun to APC? That is the big question.
