Oyetola, Oyebamiji absent as Adeleke inaugurates Tinubu campaign council in Osun

Gboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy; and Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2026 Osun governorship election, were absent on Thursday as Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, inaugurated a 344-member campaign council for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Several other prominent APC leaders in the state were also absent from the inauguration held in Osogbo, the state capital, as the governor formally kicked off the campaign for Tinubu’s second term.

Those absent included Tajudeen Lawal, state chairman of the party; Timothy Owoeye, former speaker of the Osun house of assembly; and Oluwole Oke, lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade federal constituency.

Hours before the event, the Osun APC had said it was not briefed by the governor’s camp about the inauguration, describing the development as a ploy to cause division within the party in the state.

However, some national officials and former officeholders of the party attended the event, including Adebisi Akande, former governor of Osun; Ajibola Basiru, APC national secretary; and Iyiola Omisore, former national secretary of the party.

‘NO AMBITION IS GREATER THAN TINUBU’S RE-ELECTION’ 

Speaking at the event, Basiru urged APC stakeholders to set aside their differences and work with Adeleke to secure victory for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

“Everybody who matters in Osun politics is here today. As national secretary of the APC, I am, by my position, the most senior political officeholder in southern Nigeria today,” Basiru said.

“It is in President Tinubu’s wisdom that he chose Governor Adeleke as his campaign coordinator in Osun. For us in Osun state, irrespective of our feelings, ambitions and scheming, we must abide by the vision of President Bola Tinubu and support Governor Ademola Adeleke to be successful in this exercise.

“I want to plead with all of us in Osun to come together and work with our governor, irrespective of our political party, and support him to deliver a massive victory for the President.

“There is no ambition or ego that is greater than ensuring President Bola Tinubu is re-elected. It is very imperative for us to support the President to succeed for a second term.

“Today, the resources now available to sub-nationals, like Osun, have made it possible for us to meet our current expenditure.”

In his remarks, Adeleke said the council’s primary objective was to mobilise more than the 1.5 million votes previously promised to Tinubu.

The governor described the alliance involving the Accord, APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structures in the state as a “rainbow coalition” capable of delivering an overwhelming victory for the president.

He urged members of the council to mobilise voters and work together to secure votes for Tinubu, adding that the alliance is limited to the presidential election.

“From the pain of the past, we must unite for the prosperity of the future. From unity in diversity, we must forge a new brotherhood behind our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu,” he said.

“Our coalition is solely about Mr President, a man who means so much to Osun State and Nigeria. Our alliance is about the presidential election, in which we have all agreed to support the re-election of President Tinubu.”

The governor noted that members of the coalition are free to work for their party candidates during the senatorial, house of representatives and house of assembly elections.

“What ties us together is the presidential, not the legislative elections,” he said.

“Having made the above clarifications, I want to assure you that both the federal and state governments are working to resolve the local government crisis as early as possible. Discussion has reached an advanced stage. Our dear state should expect good news very soon.” (TheCable)