Osun APC scraps parallel Tinubu campaign council

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has discontinued its parallel presidential campaign structure and renamed its campaign council the Osun State All Progressives Congress Parliamentary Campaign Council.

The party also expanded the legislative campaign council’s membership to accommodate all members of the state executive committee following protests over the initial composition of the campaign team.

The new 183-man council unveiled in Osogbo on Tuesday accommodated all state executives.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Osun APC unveiled a 168-man parallel presidential/parliamentary campaign council that will work for the re-election of President Tinubu and canvass votes for other candidates contesting on the platform of the party in the 2027 general elections.

A statement signed by the Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, obtained in Osogbo on Monday, said the campaign council was put in place to further strengthen the party’s chances in the poll.

The campaign council has the party’s candidate in the August 8 governorship poll, Bola Oyebamiji, as its Director-General, while the state APC chairman, Lawal, will serve as the Deputy Director-General.

The development comes amid a political disagreement in Osun State after the APC Presidential Campaign Council appointed  Adeleke, a member of the Accord, as the state coordinator of Tinubu’s campaign during the inauguration of the council in Abuja, on October 14.

Shortly after his unveiling, Adeleke announced a separate 344-member campaign council comprising members of different political parties.

In a counter-move, the Osun APC chapter on Monday unveiled its own campaign structure to mobilise support for Tinubu, appointing Oyebamiji as its Director-General.

But the list was greeted with a protest as four members of the state party executive rejected its composition and demanded an immediate review.

They made their grievances known in a statement signed by them and obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday.

The affected executives are the State Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola; Welfare Officer, Adesola Ayangbile; Assistant Organising Secretary, Rasheed Adeniji; and the Osun APC Ex-Officio, Abiola Ololade.

They expressed concern over the alleged omission of several members of the State Working Committee who, according to applicable guidelines, were expected to be statutory members of the council.

They also said its composition was inconsistent with the earlier presidential directive reportedly naming Governor Ademola Adeleke as the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council in the state.

Adunola and others faulted the omission of several members of the State Working Committee, who they said were expected to be statutory members of the council, insisting that their exclusion raised concerns about consultation and respect for the party’s leadership structure.

“The attention of some members of the Osun State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress has been drawn to the recently released list of the Osun State Presidential Campaign Council.

“Following a careful review, we express our strong dissatisfaction with the composition of the list, which, in our view, does not adequately reflect established party guidelines, due process and the principle of inclusiveness required in constituting such an important campaign structure.

“We, therefore, reject the list in its present form. Of particular concern is the omission of several members of the State Working Committee who, according to the applicable guidelines, are expected to be statutory members of the council.

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

It also said the composition of the list appeared inconsistent with the earlier presidential directive naming Adeleke as the coordinator of the Tinubu campaign in Osun State.

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“Furthermore, the composition of the list appears inconsistent with the earlier presidential directive reportedly naming Governor Ademola Adeleke as the coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council in Osun State.

“Following that directive, the governor promptly inaugurated a broad-based campaign team to drive the presidential campaign across the state.

“It is, therefore, unclear why a different structure has now emerged without adequate clarification or alignment with the existing arrangement.”

The aggrieved executives called for an immediate review of the published list, with appropriate consultations involving relevant stakeholders, including the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru and Adeleke.

However, in the renamed and expanded Osun APC parliamentary campaign council, Oyebamiji retained the post of Director-General.

Oyebamiji’s running mate in the election, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu are to serve as Assistant Director-General 1 and 2, respectively.

The three APC senatorial candidates and the nine House of Representatives candidates were also listed as members of the council.

Other notable inclusions in the expanded list, apart from all state executives of the party, are former governor Adebisi Akande; the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; and Basiru.

In the statement that accompanied the new list, Lawal said, “Following the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council by the national leader of our party and its presidential candidate, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on October 14, 2026, in Abuja, and the subsequent inauguration of the Osun State PCC by the Executive Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, on October 22, 2026, we consider it extremely important to therefore bolster the efforts of the PCC to deliver massive votes for the re-election of our President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the forthcoming general elections.

“As a party, we are resolute to work in unison with every member of the State Presidential Campaign Council to deliver on our mandate as we muster concerted efforts to ensure victory for all the National and State Assemblies candidates of our great party.”

In a new twist, the Osun APC Welfare Officer, Ayangbile, has denied rejecting the composition of the party’s campaign council for the 2027 general elections in the state.

Less than an hour after the statement, which included her name, was obtained, Ayangbile issued another statement disowning the earlier release.

She said she was not informed before her name was included in the statement and pledged commitment to the party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state categorically that I was neither consulted nor involved in the drafting, deliberation, adoption, or authorisation of the said statement.

“I did not give my consent for my name to be included as a signatory, and I, therefore, reject any impression that I endorsed or authorised the publication.

“I consider it inappropriate for my name and official position to be associated with a collective statement without my knowledge, consent, or express approval.

“I remain a committed and loyal member of the All Progressives Congress, with unwavering respect for the leadership and established structures of our great party.

“My commitment to the success of our presidential candidate, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remains unquestionable. Furthermore, I wish to state emphatically that my loyalty remains firmly with His Excellency, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, and our party’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Munirudeen Bola Oyebanji (AMBO),” Ayangbile wrote.

Speaking with The PUNCH during a telephone interview, Ayangbile insisted that she was not informed about the controversial statement before it was made public.