Omisore, Oyetola
Tension has flared up within the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State as the camps of the state’s immediate past governor, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, and a former deputy governor, Otunba Iyiola Omisore clash over who picks the party’s flag-bearer in the August 8, 2026 governorship election.
It was learned that the political dynamics in the party in the state have changed since Omisore, also the party’s former national secretary, announced his intention to contest the coming election.
Until Omisore threw his hat in the ring, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, a former two-term Commissioner for Finance in the administrations of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Oyetola, was getting close to piking the party’s ticket for the election.
Reportedly, Oyebamiji has the backing of Oyetola and a majority of the former governor’s supporters.
However, sources in the APC told Osun Defender that members of the party who want Oyebamiji to get the ticket have become jittery and are no more as confident with Omisore’s entrance.
Also, the sources said Oyetola’s loyalists were seeing the blunt approach of the former National Scribe as a direct attack on the Marine Minister.
Omisore, during a meeting with APC ward chairmen recently, reportedly said that President Bola Tinubu asked him to contest the 2026 poll.
In another meeting with the Vice Chairmen of the party across local governments in the state, Omisore threw shades at the other gubernatorial aspirants in APC.
The former deputy governor said those who begged him to contest next year’s gubernatorial election are better than the aspirants who have shown interest under the party.
Following the remarks, loyalists of the former governor took to social media to condemn Omisore, accusing him of throwing the party’s leadership under the bus.
In a Facebook post, a loyalist of the Marine Minister, Tunmise Ajiboye, attacked Omisore, telling him his governorship ambition is an effort in futility.
Ajiboye in the post said Omisore should not have contested again after resigning as the National Secretary of the party controversially.
But a few hours after the post, a former Special Adviser on Education to Oyetola, who has now joined Omisore’s camp, Jamiu Olawumi, shared a post attacking the Minister and his rumoured anointed aspirant, Oyebamiji.
Olawumi posted a story on his Facebook page where a socio-political group, Osun Political Frontiers, expressed deep concern over the activities of the immediate past Governor and his ex-Finance commissioner.
In the now-deleted post, the group had warned both Oyetola and Oyebamiji to desist from undermining the achievements of President Bola Tinubu in Osun State.
Meanwhile, following the attack by the two camps, the State Working Committee of APC in Osun issued a code of conduct to the party’s governorship aspirants.
Its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement, said the move was to sanitise the APC and promote peace, unity, and tranquillity towards the upcoming governorship primary.
Parts of the measures include the outlawing of any member of the executive officers of the party at all its levels, be it state, senatorial, local government, ward, and the reinstated local government council chairmen and councillors from involving themselves as the coordinator of any governorship aspirant.
The party also said it ordered the spokespersons of the governorship aspirants, their leaders, members, and supporters, to desist from using derogatory and abusive language during the course of canvassing for their aspirants, adding that failure to do so would attract an instant sanction in line with the constitution of the party.
According to the party chairman, some supporters and followers of the numerous APC governorship aspirants have been throwing caution to the wind by needlessly verbally attacking either some of the esteemed party leaders, aspirants, or supporters of other aspirants within the same party.
