Fresh Crisis In Osun APC As Officials Kick Against Campaign Council List

A fresh rift has emerged in the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as some members of its State Executive Committee rejected the campaign council recently announced by the state chairman, Tajudeen Lawal.

Naija News reports that the council, which is headed by the party’s 2026 governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, was set up to drive the presidential and parliamentary campaigns in the state.

In a rejoinder, the state Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola; Assistant Organising Secretary, Rasheed Adeniji; and ex-officio member, Abiola Ololade, said the list fell short of party rules and failed to carry key officials along.

“We, therefore, reject the list in its present form,” they declared.

They specifically complained that several members of the State Working Committee, who should automatically be part of the council, were left out.

“The exclusion of the recognised party officials raises serious concerns about consultation, due process, and respect for the party’s established leadership structure,” the statement said.

The officials noted that the new council appeared to conflict with the President’s earlier decision to make Governor Ademola Adeleke the head of his campaign in Osun.

They recalled that Adeleke had already inaugurated a broad-based campaign council on October 22, and wondered why another body had been created without explanation.

According to them, the new list would only be justifiable if it was meant for the parliamentary elections.

“This distinction must be clearly established to avoid confusion, duplication of responsibilities, and unnecessary friction within the party’s campaign structure,” they said.

The aggrieved officials said the state exco “cannot be sidelined in the constitution of a state-wide campaign council,” stressing the need for “mutual respect, proper coordination, and the active involvement of legitimate party stakeholders.”

They urged the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and the state Director-General to convene consultations to harmonise the arrangement.

The group, nonetheless, pledged loyalty to President Bola Tinubu.

“We remain fully committed to the success of our presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the overall interests of the APC,” the statement read.

Lawal had, on Monday, unveiled Oyebamiji as Director-General of the 2027 Presidential and Parliamentary Campaign Committee and named a 58-member Elders’ Council.

He said the move followed the President’s inauguration of the national campaign council in Abuja and Adeleke’s inauguration of the state presidential campaign council, and aimed to boost the party’s mobilisation for Tinubu and other APC candidates.