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Tag: Osun 2026

Osun 2026: Tight security as 1,660 delegates set for APC guber primary

Heavy security presence was recorded on Saturday at Ebunoluwa Hall, Osogbo, the venue for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary, where 1,660 delegates are expected to elect the party’s candidate for the 2026 election.

The Nation recalls that the Chairman of the APC Primary Committee and Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebolo, had disclosed on Friday night during a meeting with party stakeholders in Osogbo that the affirmation method would be adopted for the primary.

Members of the primary committee have since concluded the accreditation of delegates, with the process conducted under tight security provided by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Delegates are seated according to their respective local government areas, while prominent party chieftains continue to arrive at the venue.

Details shortly…

December 13, 2025
Osun 2026: Adeleke validly nominated, elected as our candidate—Accord Party

…warns dispelled members against causing leadership confusion

The leadership of the Accord Party has affirmed that Governor Ademola Adeleke was validly nominated and elected as its governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun election, warning expelled and disgruntled members against stoking leadership confusion or attempting to undermine the party’s unified position ahead of the poll.

The Nation recalled that Adeleke, being the sole aspirant of the party, emerged as the candidate of the party after polling 145 delegates’ votes out of 150 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a faction of the party at the national level, led by its ex-Presidential Candidate, Prof. Chris Inumolen, kicked against Adeleke.

Reacting to the development, the Osun State Chairman of the Accord Party, Pastor Victor Akande, in a statement on Friday, refuted the claim by Inumolen, stating that “he has been formally expelled from the party due to several instances of anti-party conduct.”

Read Also: JUST IN: Accord Party clears Adeleke as sole aspirant for Osun guber primary

Akande asserted that the Accord Party remains Nigeria’s best-organised and crisis-free political party, saying, “the party values transparency and discipline and holds democracy as a core value with no room for either godfatherism or political manipulation.”

He continued, “The Spokesperson Forum of State Chairmen of Accord South West, Hon. Oke Rotimi, stated that the rumour making rounds that our National Chairman, Mr. Maxwell Mgbudem, Esq. has been suspended, is absolutely and totally false.

“The National Executive Committee meeting on 3rd December 2025 passed a vote of confidence in Mgbudem by the whole National Working Committee. At no stage was there any form of disciplinary action against him as widely disseminated.”

Subsequently, Akande refuted the claims made against the party and its governorship candidate, Adeleke, clarifying that “Adeleke formally became a member of ACCORD on 6th November 2025, and he received public recognition from the party on 9th December 2025.

“He emerged as the valid winner at the ACCORD Party Primary conducted on 10th December 2025. The said primary election took place under strict guidelines approved by the NEC and monitored by officials from INEC.”

December 12, 2025
Osun 2026: Davido drops hints about Adeleke family’s post-politics plan

Afrobeats singer Davido has indicated that the Adeleke family might redirect their energy toward business pursuits should Governor Ademola Adeleke lose his bid for re-election in the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.

The comment came amid online discussions about the governor’s political future and the possibility of a loss under the Accord Party.

Davido’s remark was in response to a tweet suggesting that if Adeleke loses, the singer might compose a song for the APC during the 2027 campaign.

One Mr Lurvy wrote, “Osun APC blocking Ademola Adeleke, a sitting Governor, from joining the party is one for the history books. The plot twist would be if Ademola Adeleke wins with Accord and takes over Osun APC.”

Another netizen, Whemimor replied him, “If e lose na Davido go compose song for APC during 2027 campaign.”

Davido quoted the tweet, saying, “Or we can just go back to our multi-billion dollar company…”

Governor Ademola Adeleke on Wednesday emerged as the Accord Party’s governorship candidate for the 2026 election, winning the primary with 145 votes.

The Adeleke family’s business empire, led by Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, includes Pacific Holdings Limited, a conglomerate with diverse investments.

Davido serves as a director at Pacific Energy, part of the family’s business portfolio.

December 11, 2025
Osun 2026: Babayemi reaffirms loyalty to APC after disqualification from guber primary

A frontline governorship aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dotun Babayemi, has restated his commitment to the party after he was disqualified from participating in the December 13, 2025 Osun State gubernatorial primary.

The Nation reports that the APC Screening Committee disqualified Babayemi along with six other aspirants — former deputy governor and APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, immediate past Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), and Babatunde Haketer Oralusi — for allegedly violating party guidelines, the APC constitution, and provisions of the Electoral Act.

Although the affected aspirants had earlier dismissed their disqualification as a “huge joke,” Babayemi on Wednesday accepted the outcome.

In a personally signed statement, he pledged to respect the party’s leadership and its decision-making process.

Read Also: Our soldiers didn’t kill any protesting women, says Army

“As a gubernatorial aspirant, I have traversed 299 out of the 332 wards in Osun State, spreading President’s Renewed Hope message and consistently stating that the party remains supreme. I will abide by its decision on who flies the flag in 2026,” he said.

“In the past few days, the leadership of our party at the National and State levels, under the wise guidance of our Leader, President Bola Tinubu, have been busy resolving the issues that are cropping up, with a view to reaching a workable resolution that will leave our party united, and able to regain power in Osun come 2026.”

He stressed, “I restate my commitment to the ideals of the Progressives, and I am prepared to abide by the Party’s resolutions concerning the 2026 Governorship Election, believing that the actualisation of our shared goals of delivering good governance to our people supersedes any individual desires.”

December 10, 2025
Osun 2026: Our disqualification, joke of the year, aspirants tell APC
- I am only appealing for NWC for review – Babayemi
All the seven disqualified governorship aspirants in Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the verdict of the party’s screening committee that sacked them from the December 13 shadow election, describing their disqualification as the “biggest joke of the year.”

Barrister Obinna Uzor-led 7-man Screening Committee on Friday disqualified seven of the nine aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket.

The affected aspirants include the former deputy governor and National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Iyiola Omisore, immediate past Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi and Dotun Babayemi.

Others are Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), and Babatunde Haketer Oralusi.

The panel said they failed to meet nomination requirements under Articles 9.3(i), 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines.

In a 6-page report of the 2 days screening exercise, submitted to the party leadership, the Committee cleared Hon. Mulikat Adeola Jimoh and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji have been found to have fulfilled regulatory requirements as stipulated by the party guidelines, the Constitution, and the Electoral Act.

Addressing newsmen in a joint press conference on behalf of six aspirants at the venue of the screening appeal after submitting their petitions, Sen. Iyiola Omisore said the verdict of the committee was a politically motivated hatchet job and branded it as “the biggest joke of the year.”

The six aggrieved aspirants accused party insiders of attempting to impose a preferred candidate, allegedly backed by the presidency.

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Omisore alleged that the screening panel chairman had come under “intense pressure from powerful interests” seeking to edge out frontline aspirants out of the race for their preferred candidate.

“This report is the joke of 2025,” he declared. “People have taken partisanship beyond politics. The committee wrote three contradictory reports—one to the secretary, one to the leadership, and another somewhere else. Even as we speak, none of us has officially received anything.

“They told us the Villa wanted their candidate”

The former APC National Secretary alleged that the screening chairman personally informed aspirants that certain figures were pushing for the disqualification of all major contenders to pave the way for a favored aspirant

“The chairman told us from day one that phone calls were coming from everywhere,” he said. “He told us outright that ‘they want to disqualify all of you because their candidate is from the Villa.’ So what happened is not surprising.”

According to Omisore, who was a former deputy governor in the state, the entire two -day screening exercise was a procedural mess.

He noted that as the time of addressing reporters, none of the disqualified aspirants is aware of the specific allegations against them, nor have they been provided evidence of non-compliance.

“What are the accusations? We have not seen anything,” he said. “Even our letters were not delivered to us. How do you disqualify people without giving them the basis?”

The governorship hopeful faulted the committee’s claim that most aspirants failed to meet the nomination threshold. Citing his own Senatorial zone, Omisore noted that the Ife zone alone had over 230,000 valid party members.

Asked to share what transpired between him and the panel, Omisore said, “I am the only one that have met them. But we have the same reservations. So far, it is so good that all of us will meet the appeal panel individually.

“I asked them what the allegations are because we haven’t seen any. We haven’t been written. So, what is the basis of the disqualification? You said we didn’t have nominators, five per local government. But the law says he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us.

When asked if he is hopeful of the leeway provided by the screening committee through the National Working Committee (NWC), Omisore said: “I am hopeful. It was a fake screening. The NWC members know our pedigree. They know the truth.”

He, however, declined to speculate on his next move if the NWC upholds the disqualification.

“You can’t think ahead for us,” he replied. “Let’s get there first.”

Meanwhile, another disqualified aspirant, Omoba Dotun Babayemi, said he was at the screening appeal to plead with the NWC through the committee.

“I am not here to protest or challenge the verdict of the screening committee but to appeal NWC through the screening appeal committee to review the decision and clear me to contest the primary election.

Only four of the disqualified aspirants appeared before the panel by the time the report was being filed.
December 7, 2025
Osun 2026: Omisore, Alabi, others break silence, call APC screening ‘biggest joke of the year’

All seven governorship aspirants disqualified by the Osun State APC screening committee have rejected the decision, describing it as the “biggest joke of the year.”

The seven-man panel, led by Barrister Obinna Uzor, on Friday disqualified seven of the nine aspirants vying for the party’s ticket ahead of the December 13 shadow election.

Those affected include former Deputy Governor and APC National Secretary Sen. Iyiola Omisore, immediate past Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), and Babatunde Haketer Oralusi.

The committee cited failure to meet nomination requirements under Articles 9.3(i), 31.2(ii) of the APC Constitution, and Paragraph 6(c) of the party’s guidelines. In its 6-page report, the panel cleared only Hon. Mulikat Adeola Jimoh and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, stating they fulfilled the regulatory requirements under party rules and the Electoral Act.

At a joint press conference after submitting their appeals, Sen. Omisore called the disqualification a politically motivated move, alleging that the screening panel chairman faced “intense pressure from powerful interests” aiming to sideline leading aspirants in favour of a preferred candidate allegedly supported by the presidency.

The aggrieved aspirants accused party insiders of attempting to manipulate the process and impose their preferred candidate on the contest.

“This report is the joke of 2025,” he declared. “People have taken partisanship beyond politics. The committee wrote three contradictory reports—one to the secretary, one to the leadership, and another somewhere else. Even as we speak, none of us has officially received anything.

“They told us the Villa wanted their candidate”

The former APC national secretary alleged that the screening chairman personally informed aspirants that certain figures were pushing for the disqualification of all major contenders to pave the way for a favored aspirant

“The chairman told us from day one that phone calls were coming from everywhere,” he said. “He told us outright that ‘they want to disqualify all of you because their candidate is from the Villa.’ So what happened is not surprising.”

According to Omisore, who was a former deputy governor in the state, the entire two day screening exercise was a procedural mess.

He noted that as the time of addressing reporters, none of the disqualified aspirants is aware of the specific allegations against them, nor have they been provided evidence of non-compliance.

“What are the accusations? We have not seen anything,” he said. “Even our letters were not delivered to us. How do you disqualify people without giving them the basis?”

The governorship hopeful faulted the committee’s claim that most aspirants failed to meet the nomination threshold.

Citing his own Senatorial zone, Omisore noted that the Ife zone alone had over 230,000 valid party members.

Asked to share what transpired between him and the panel, Omisore said, “I am the only one that have met them. But we have the same reservations . So far, it is so good that all of us will meet the appeal panel individually.

“I asked them what the allegations are because we haven’t seen any. We haven’t been written. So, what is the basis of the disqualification? You said we didn’t have nominators, five per local government. But the law says he who alleges must prove. They should have used another method to disqualify us.

When asked if he is hopeful of the leeway provided by the screening committee through the National Working Committee (NWC), Omisore said: “I am hopeful. It was a fake screening. The NWC members know our pedigree. They know the truth.”

He, however, declined to speculate on his next move if the NWC upholds the disqualification.

“You can’t think ahead for us,” he replied. “Let’s get there first.”

Meanwhile, another disqualified aspirant, Omoba Dotun Babayemi, said he was at the screening appeal to plead with the NWC through the committee.

“I am not here to protest or challenge the verdict of the screening committee but to appeal NWC through the screening appeal committee to review the decision and clear me to contest the primary election.

Only four of the disqualified aspirants appeared before the panel by the time the report was being filed.

December 6, 2025
Battle for Osun

Attention is shifting to Osun State, where political parties are expected to conduct governorship primaries next month to produce their candidates for next year’s poll.

Four parties are effectively in the race to produce the governor: the highly polarised and decimated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), where no fewer than eight aspirants are battling to get the ticket, the uproarious African Democratic Congress (ADC) that is tearing itself down with intra-party conflicts, and the Accord (A), which the “partyless” governor may adopt as an emergency platform.

In Osun, the PDP has lost power without an election or a coup. Governor Ademola Adeleke stepped aside from the party, which his supporters described as a sinking ship. He is said to be on his way to the Accord, as previously speculated. It is a way of rescuing himself from the disaster the PDP brought on itself.

The main opposition party is facing a worsening crisis. Its national leadership is gasping for breath to swim out of the ocean of disputes within. The party’s top hierarchy is a subject of litigation in the court. This is the fallout of the acrimonious presidential convention of 2022, which threw up Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate for the 2023 poll.

Since then, the party’s centre has been falling apart, and nothing appears potent enough to fasten it up. It is being decimated daily by the gale of high-profile defections. The party, which occupied Aso Villa for 16 years, is experiencing an accelerated diminishing returns never envisaged by its founding fathers.

READ ALSO: FULL LIST: 2026 World Cup new entrants

The majority of PDP members are with Ede-born Governor Adeleke in his search for a new platform. That he is seeking refuge in a borrowed platform is discomforting and demoralising. Despite the turn of events, the PDP remains a brand. It needs no introduction, even if its structures are now distressed. Adeleke is not a seasoned politician, like his illustrious brother, “Serubawon” Isiaka Adeleke, although he has achieved the double accomplishments of becoming a senator and governor, like the deceased. But Ademola never imagined being entrusted with the huge political responsibilities, which his limited education and exposure never prepared him for. He danced his way into the National Assembly and the Bola Ige House in Osogbo, the seat of Osun State government, to the envy of seasoned actors who could not make it to those levels.

Now, Adeleke faces a novel test of leadership, a brewing challenge he never anticipated. This is the challenge of nurturing any mushroom party he may adopt into prominence and wider acceptability.

His exit from the PDP underscores his battle for survival. He faces a major election next year and the hurdles are real, although he wields an incumbency power. But he was not influential enough to wield that power of incumbency to prevail on three Osun PDP senators from defecting to the APC months ago. How formidable is also the incumbency factor that made “Ade Dancer” to apply to the APC for defection?

Since his request to join APC was turned down, much ego has been deflated, and subsequent partisan moves were laced with tension. Neither could the governor rescind his decision to campaign for the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential poll nor withdraw his statement of support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Yet, it was dangerous to stay on in PDP, now polarised into two factions that are preparing for renewed legal fireworks in court next week.

Adeleke does not openly belong to either of the factions. Also, he lacks the capacity to broker reconciliation. He never participated in the Adamasingba picnics. He is also not seen around the man the late Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu called ‘wicked Wike’, the acclaimed PDP albatross.

No doubt, Adeleke’s exit from the PDP has created a vacuum, and nature abhors a vacuum. Thus, during the week, Adedamola Adedayo, a lowly party chieftain, became the governorship candidate of the former ruling party that instantly became a toothless bulldog. It means that not all the chieftains subscribe to Adeleke’s defection project.

The PDP flagbearer is said to be enjoying the backing of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, although he is largely perceived as a placeholder. Many Osun PDP stalwarts who objected to Makinde’s overtures in Osun State accuse him of nursing a territorial expansionist agenda. Predictably, the flagbearer would merely appear as a venerable spectator on poll day. No other PDP governor would like to invest in his candidature.

Adeleke will fly the ticket of any party he finally adopts. Nobody really bothers about his scorecard. He looks formidable, not for his dancing steps but because of the circumstances that brought him to power.

Zoning is key in the State of Living Springs; this is why the parties are looking in the direction of Osun West.

The zone, particularly Ede, is the stronghold of the governor. Its population is huge. Besides Adeleke’s incumbency power, he has a deep purse, courtesy of his wealthy family, which is ready to again bankroll the second term project. When the campaign train rolls into town, even his nephew, eminent musician David (Davido) Adeleke, may be a major anchor.

But the governor can be stopped if the APC assembles a formidable team. This time calls for unity and sacrifice, as demonstrated by the Marine and Blue Economy Minister Gboyega Oyetola, who declined the urge to throw his hat into the ring.

APC aspirants include Kunle Adegoke, a legal luminary; Senator Ajibola Basiru, Doctor of Law and promising National Secretary of the party; Senator Iyioola Omisore, a former deputy governor and rugged predecessor of Basiru at the national office; Benefict Alabi, the immediate past deputy governor; Senator Babajide Omoworare, a former presidential aide; Senator Mudashiru Hussein; Dotun Babayemi, a popular lawyer and defector from the PDP, and Bola Oyebamiji, a financial expert and former finance commissioner, who is likely to get the ticket if the permutations are right.

But the Osun APC is not cohesive. Besides, the elders, called ‘Agba Osun,’ who traditionally are disposed to consensus, have not been able to persuade some of these aspirants to make sacrifices by stepping down. They may not be able to wield the big stick, where necessary, or apply persuasion, when this psychological tool would be most effective.

Next week, the APC national leadership, after linking up with the state chapter, would unfold the mode of primary, either consensus, direct, or indirect.

What should be avoided is a post-primary crisis. The only way to avoid danger and damage is to conduct a substantially free and fair shadow poll.

If the primary is not credible, one or two contenders may defect to either the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or Labour Party (LP).

In Osun, ADC of Rauf Aregbesola is roaring like a lion, but there is no prey to devour. The former governor and minister is intensifying mobilization. Crowds at rallies are uncritically confused with huge popularity and perceived as an expansion of the coast.

Cracks have appeared on the wall, which are not easy to mend. The loyal deputy leader of the ‘Omoluabi Progressives,’ Alhaji Moshood Adeoti of Iwo, twice dumped by the leader, left the group in anger this week. His grouse is that the caucus may not endorse his governorship ambition. His next line of action is unknown.

Adeoti, an experienced grassroots actor, suffered bruises as Alliance for Democracy (AD)/Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) state chairman. He saw the handwriting on the wall but could not decipher it. He may not be as soft as Dr. Najeem Salam, a former Speaker from Ejigbo, if power lands on his palm.

If the calculations of the political parties do not change, then eyes are on Adeleke of Accord, or any party he may adopt; Oyebamiji of APC and Salam of ADC to weather the storms of the primaries. Even then, only one man will become the governor next year.

December 6, 2025
Osun 2026: Party elders will guide choice of APC candidate — National leadership

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday said it will defer to the Elders’ Council in Osun State in determining the outcome of the forthcoming governorship primary scheduled for Saturday, December 13, 2025.

The assurance was given by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, when leading gubernatorial aspirant Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) submitted his Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for the 2026 governorship election at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

Oyebamiji was accompanied by a large delegation of state and national leaders, officials, and key stakeholders, submitting his forms at exactly 5:00 p.m.

Argungu, represented by Deputy National Organising Secretary Nze Chidi Duru, said the party is determined to “get it right” in Osun by respecting the wisdom of the state’s Elders’ Council during the primary.

“Osun is important because it is in the South West and it is a state we want firmly in our fold before the 2027 general election. Also, the President has a special interest in the State; therefore, we must get it right this time. We have elders in the Osun APC, and if we heed them, we won’t lose the State and will get it right,” Argungu stated. He also urged Oyebamiji and his supporters to maintain peace as the primary approach.

Earlier, APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Bashir, who recently stepped down as an aspirant, emphasised the party’s determination to secure a decisive victory in Osun.

He urged members to remain united before and after the primary to ensure success for the APC, adding, “We must deliver massively for President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Osun is one of the key states we aim to win with a very large margin.”

After submitting his forms, Asiwaju Oyebamiji declared himself the aspirant to beat in the December 13 primary, highlighting his professional and public service record. He cited his 28-year career in banking, his tenure as Managing Director of the Osun State Investment Company Limited (OSICOL), his two terms as Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, and his recent role as Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) as evidence of his capacity to lead.

“I dare to tell you with modesty that I am an aspirant to beat to have resigned my appointment. I worked in the private enterprise, especially in the banking sector, for 28 years, and this is the sector where I was formed, which is a target-oriented sector.

“It is a sector that you just must be profitable, you must work it, and you must know your onion. I worked there, and I have my records, and I resigned from that opportunity to join the public sector. When I joined the public sector in 2012, I was made the managing director of a state investment company, and the records are there for any of us here to verify. We did very well, and I’m proud of myself.

“After that, I was the managing director when I was appointed the Commissioner for Finance during former Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration, and we exceeded. I am a Commissioner for Finance without a blemish, and just like you said, I was appointed the managing director of NIWA. My two years in NIWA were fantastic. It was a record that has never been matched since the creation of that authority.

He continued, “That gives me the courage that anywhere I take a step to go, with Almighty God, I always succeed, and in this one, we will. We have prayed to God, and we are still working hard, and we are going to deliver the goodies to your party,” Asiwaju Oyebamiji stated.

Dignitaries present during the submission included the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu; National Vice Chairman (North Central), Muazu Bawa Rijau; National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Felix Morka, National Welfare Officer, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, and Deputy National Secretary, Barr. Festus Fuanter, among others.

December 2, 2025
Osun 2026: Adebayo Adedamola emerges PDP guber candidate

…polls 919 out of 957 votes cast by delegates

Hon. Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola on Tuesday emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

Out of 990 delegates expected for the primary, 957 were accredited for the exercise, which took place at Adolak Event Centre, Osogbo, under heavy security.

The Chairman of the Primary Committee, Hon. Humphery Abba, announced before the exercise that the party had received two nominations, including Governor Ademola Adeleke and Hon. Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola.

He noted, however, that “a few hours before the primary, Adeleke dumped the party.”

The exercise was closely monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In conclusion, Hon. Abba declared Adedamola the winner, saying, “Void votes 20. As we informed earlier, one of the aspirants withdrew. The candidate who received the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and stands elected and returned.”

December 2, 2025
Osun 2026: Omisore, Alabi, five others submit nomination forms
- Ex-Deputy Governor Alabi denies adoption claims
Ahead of the December 13 All Progressives Congress (APC) Osun State governorship primary election, all the nine aspirants seeking the party’s ticket for the poll billed for August 8, 2026 yesterday stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to submit their nomination forms.

The aspirants are former deputy governor, Sen. Iyiola Omisore, development financier, Babatunde Oralusi, chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oyedotun Babayemi and ex-deputy governor of the state, Benedict Alabi.

Others are business magnate and insurance expert, Dr Akinade Ogunbiyi, legal icon, Adegoke Adekunle (SAN), the only female aspirant and former lawmaker in Osun State House of Assembly, Dr. (Mrs.) Mulikat Jimoh and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental, Sen. Babajide Omoworare.

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Addressing reporters after submitting his forms, Alabi dismissed reports that the party had adopted a preferred candidate ahead of the August 8, 2026 governorship election.

Responding to speculations that some party elders had endorsed one of the nine aspirants as a consensus candidate, he insisted there was no such arrangement.

“I am the deputy leader of the party in the state. There is no adoption of any aspirant in Osun State for the forthcoming election,” he said.

Alabi added that he received the support and blessings of his former boss, former governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, before picking the forms.

Decrying the deplorable condition of the state, Alabi accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of failing to prioritise critical sectors in the state, particularly education and health care, describing the alleged neglect as a “glaring lack of commitment to the welfare of Osun citizens.”

“Performance is relative, and the facts on the ground are clear,” Alabi said. “While we see bridges and roads being built, there is hardly any progress in education or health care.

“Education and health are the backbone of a prosperous society, yet these sectors remain neglected under the current leadership. We cannot claim progress when our people are deprived of essential services,” he added.

Unveiling his plan for the state, the governorship aspirant said his administration would prioritise transparency, accountability and inclusivity, vowing to run a government that serves the people rather than political interests.

“As we seek to build a prosperous Osun, leadership must be measured by tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. My mission is to restore education, health care and economic opportunities to the people, ensuring that no one is left behind,” Alabi concluded.

Former APC national secretary and governorship aspirant, Senator Omisore, said the state deserved a more serious, experienced and visionary leader, adding that governance was a solemn responsibility that should not be reduced to theatrics.

According to him, the image of a “dancing governor” does not reflect the gravity of the challenges facing Osun State.

“Osun does not deserve a dancing governor,” Omisore said. “Public office requires depth, discipline and focus. No leader who truly appreciates the weight of governance trivialises it.”

The governorship hopeful said tolerance, competence and leadership capacity, not entertainment, defined good governance, adding that the constant display of dancing within the corridors of power signalled a lack of seriousness toward statecraft.

“Leadership is not a show. It demands clarity of mind and purpose,” he said. “Governance is not salesmanship or entertainment. It requires substance, not choreography.

“Experience cannot be bought. Just like wine, the older it gets, the richer it becomes,” he said. “Osun is fortunate at this point to have someone with my depth offering himself again.”

Dismissing the leadership style of the incumbent governor, Omisore, who was a deputy governor in the state 20 years ago, said Adeleke lacked the capacity to even serve as a commissioner in his administration.

“Let me be frank with you: if I were governor, I could not appoint him as a commissioner,” Omisore said. “That shows the extent of the challenges we have faced over the last two to three years.”

Addressing reporters after submitting her nomination forms, the only female aspirant, Dr. Jimoh condemned the persistent exclusion of women in the state’s top political and governance structures.

The former lawmaker in the state pledged to champion women’s empowerment and implement transformative policies aimed at improving the lives of citizens in Osun State.

“If you empower a woman, you empower the nation,” she said, noting that women have historically been sidelined in politics, particularly in Osun State.

“But thanks to my party, APC, which is gender-friendly, that barrier is being reduced. All we need is a chance to demonstrate that women can lead and excel,” she maintained.

The former university lecturer said, if she picked the party’s ticket, priority would be given to education, social welfare, maternal and child health, youth employment and provision of essential amenities for communities across the state.

“Education is the bedrock of development,” she stressed, citing the late sage Obafemi Awolowo: “If you do not train the people around you, those you train will not benefit from the training you give them.”

She called for collective action to support women in leadership, urging citizens to back female candidates who are committed to progress.

“Together, we can create a future where opportunity, equity and progress are available to all,” she said, reiterating her vision for a more inclusive and prosperous Osun State.

Asked if she would be willing to step down for any of the other aspirants, Jimoh said: “I am in this election to win. I am not going to step down for anybody.”

Outlining his blueprint to revive the economic fortunes of the state, Mr. Adegoke (SAN) said his focus would be on tourism, agriculture and renewable energy.

The legal luminary, who said he had spent 14 years studying the natural resources of the state, noted that Osun State was sitting on “a goldmine of neglected assets” capable of transforming its fortunes.

“I have gone round the whole of Osun. I studied Osun like my palm,” he said. “This is not a state anybody should approach like a stranger. I came with knowledge—content knowledge that can drive real development.”

On agriculture, the governorship aspirant said Osun’s fertile land and large youth population positioned it for agro-industrial expansion, adding that he planned to link agriculture with processing hubs powered by renewable energy, turning local produce into export-ready goods while creating thousands of jobs.

“When industries grow, students and young people will stop looking for jobs and start creating solutions, just like Silicon Valley, where not everyone is a PhD holder,” he said.
December 2, 2025