Osun 2026: Seven APC Governorship Aspirants Step Down, Endorse Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji After Tinubu’s Intervention

 

Abuja, December 10, 2025 – In a major development ahead of the Osun State governorship election in 2026, seven prominent aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have voluntarily withdrawn from the party’s primary and thrown their full support behind Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus candidate.

The decision was reached on Wednesday evening following a crucial closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The president personally appealed to the aspirants to close ranks, avoid a bruising primary, and present a united front against the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Emerging from the session, the seven aspirants jointly announced their withdrawal and endorsement of Oyebamiji, a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and long-time ally of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. They described the move as a sacrifice for party unity and a stronger chance of reclaiming Osun State in 2026.

Those who stepped aside are:

1. Benedict Olugboyega Alabi (former Deputy Governor under Gboyega Oyetola)
2. Dotun Babayemi (2022 PDP governorship candidate who defected to APC)
3. Akin Ogunbiyi (Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance)
4. Senator Babajide Omoworare (former Senator representing Osun East)
5. Kunle Adegoke SAN (legal practitioner and former Attorney-General nominee)
6. Babatunde Hareter Oralusi (businessman and philanthropist)
7. Mulikat Abiola Jimoh (two-term member of the House of Representatives)

In a joint statement read by Senator Omoworare, the group said: “Having consulted widely and in the overall interest of our great party, we have resolved to support Hon. Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus candidate for the forthcoming primary. We urge all party faithful to rally around him so that together we can restore progressive governance in Osun State.”

The meeting was attended by top party leaders including the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma.

President Tinubu reportedly reminded the aspirants of the bitter lesson of the 2022 election, when internal divisions within the APC contributed to the narrow defeat of incumbent Governor Oyetola. He urged them to place the party above personal ambition and promised that their loyalty would not be forgotten.

However, one notable absentee was former APC National Secretary and two-time governorship aspirant, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Omisore, who was controversially disqualified from the primary last week by the party’s screening committee, stayed away from the Villa meeting despite being invited. His absence has reignited speculation about lingering grievances within the party’s Osun chapter.

Only days ago, Omisore had publicly dismissed his disqualification as “a joke” and vowed to challenge it legally, accusing certain elements within the party of manipulating the process. His boycott of the president’s peace meeting has raised concerns that the consensus arrangement may not fully resolve underlying tensions, particularly in the Osun East senatorial district where he wields significant influence.

Party insiders say the consensus around Oyebamiji was carefully brokered over several weeks by a coalition of elders and stakeholders loyal to former Governor Oyetola, with quiet backing from the presidency. Oyebamiji is seen as a low-drama, competent technocrat who can unite the various factions that have plagued the Osun APC since the fallout between Oyetola and his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola.

The APC primary is scheduled to hold this Saturday, December 13, across the state’s 332 wards. With the seven major contenders now out of the race, Oyebamiji is widely expected to be affirmed unopposed, paving the way for a smoother campaign season.

Reacting to the development, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, described the APC’s consensus move as “an admission of weakness,” adding that the PDP remains confident of victory in 2026 based on the governor’s performance in infrastructure, education, and workers’ welfare.

Political observers believe that while the consensus has averted an immediate implosion within the APC, the party’s ability to fully reconcile with the Omisore camp and energise its base will determine whether it can reclaim power in the state often described as the “heart of Yoruba progressivism.”

For now, the APC in Osun appears to have chosen unity over competition. Whether that unity holds until polling day in 2026 remains to be seen.