At least seven governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State have withdrawn from the race and endorsed Bola Oyebamiji as the party’s consensus candidate ahead of the forthcoming primary election.
Their decision followed a meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The gathering was aimed at resolving internal disputes and unifying the party’s ranks in Osun ahead of the 2026 governorship contest.
Notably absent from the meeting was former party secretary and aspirant, Iyiola Omisore, who had earlier dismissed his disqualification from the APC primary screening process as “a joke,” signalling ongoing tensions within the state chapter.
Those who stepped down for Oyebamiji are former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi; Dotun Babayemi; Akin Ogunbiyi; former Senator Babajide Omoworare; legal practitioner Kunle Adegoke; Babatunde Haketer Oralusi; and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh.
Party sources said the intervention by the President was decisive in persuading the aspirants to close ranks and avoid a contentious primary that could weaken the APC’s chances against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. The aspirants reportedly committed to working collectively for the party’s success and to ensuring a united front ahead of campaign season.
Tinubu, according to insiders at the meeting, emphasised the need for party cohesion and stability, noting that internal divisions had contributed to the APC’s loss in Osun in 2022. He urged party stakeholders to prioritise unity, warning that disunity would jeopardise the party’s prospects in the coming election.
Bola Oyebamiji, the beneficiary of the consensus arrangement, is a former Commissioner for Finance in Osun State and currently serves as the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority. His emergence marks a significant shift in pre-primary calculations, as several of the initial aspirants had already begun extensive mobilisation.
It remains unclear whether Omisore, who has openly rejected his exclusion from the race, will challenge the consensus arrangement. His next steps may shape the trajectory of the party’s preparations in the months ahead.
The APC is expected to formally communicate its consensus decision to the national secretariat ahead of the primary schedule.
