Osun APC snubs Adeleke’s campaign council, announce parallel 168-Member campaign list for Tinubu’s re-election

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted a 168-member campaign council to coordinate efforts towards securing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election and victory for the party’s National and State Assembly candidates in the 2027 general elections.

The development comes amid disagreements over the composition of an earlier presidential campaign council inaugurated by Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who has maintained that his political cooperation with the APC is limited to supporting Tinubu’s re-election.

In a statement issued on Monday in Osogbo, the Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the new council was established to strengthen the party’s campaign structure and coordinate its electoral activities across the state.

Lawal explained that the council comprised selected party leaders, candidates and other stakeholders expected to mobilise support for the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

Under the arrangement, the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, will serve as Director-General of the campaign council, while Lawal will occupy the position of Deputy Director-General.

Benjamin Adereti, who served as Oyebamiji’s running mate in the last Osun governorship election, and Kehinde Olamolu were named Assistant Directors-General 1 and 2, respectively.

The three APC senatorial candidates and the party’s nine House of Representatives candidates were also included in the council.

Other prominent members listed include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Foluke Etteh; former deputy governors Adeleke Adewoyin, Iyiola Omisore, Titi Laoye-Ponnle and Adegboyega Alabi; retired General Alani Akinrinade; Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode; and the party’s spokesperson, Kola Olabisi.

Explaining the decision to establish the council, Lawal said it followed the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council by President Tinubu in Abuja on October 14, 2026, and the subsequent inauguration of the Osun State Presidential Campaign Council by Governor Adeleke on October 22.

He said the state party leadership considered it necessary to strengthen the existing campaign structure to ensure the President’s re-election and secure victories for APC candidates contesting National and State Assembly seats.

The statement added that the party was committed to working with members of the state presidential campaign council while mobilising support for all its candidates.

The emergence of the separate APC campaign council comes against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the presidential campaign structure inaugurated by Adeleke.

The governor, who is associated with the Accord Party, was appointed coordinator of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council in Osun State.

The October 22 inauguration was attended by several political figures, including APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, former Osun governor Bisi Akande, and former deputy governors Iyiola Omisore and Titi Laoye-Ponnle.

However, some prominent APC figures, including former Osun governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; Oyebamiji; and Lawal, were absent from the event.

Following the inauguration, Lawal expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that the Osun APC leadership had not been consulted over the composition of the state presidential campaign council.

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