By John Dike, Osogbo
All Progressives Congress National Secretary, Dr Ajibola Basiru has explained why he withdrew from the Osun State Governorship Race.
The election which is less than two months away will be contested by aspirants who will face the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the poll.
Already, at least 12 aspirants under the APC banner have collected their nomination and interest expression forms at the party’s Abuja head office.
Explaining why he withdrew from the race, Basiru said the demands of his national assignment necessitated the decision.
In a statement released shortly after announcing his withdrawal from the 2026 Osun governorship race., he said,
“Considering the enormous responsibilities of my current office as National Secretary of our great party and after due consultations with our esteemed leaders and stakeholders —particularly the leader of our party and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — it has become necessary to emphatically state that I shall not be contesting the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election.”
He said strengthening party structures nationwide ahead of the 2027 general elections requires his total focus.
Despite his withdrawal, he emphasized that he remains committed to the APC’s progressive vision.
“This decision does not signify a withdrawal from our shared progressive visions. It is, in fact, a renewed pledge to deepen my commitment to work with our leaders and members of the Alubarika Movement and the APC in Osun and across Nigeria to nurture and support emerging political leaders aligned with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Also, Basiru boasted that the APC would reclaim Osun State from the alleged maladministration of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It lost the state in the last election when the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, floored the former APC Governor Gboyega Oyetola, now a minister at the federal level
He declared that since the 2022 governorship election and the 2023 National and State Assembly polls, the party has maintained an unshakable resolve to democratically reclaim Osun State from what he described as the “PDP-led maladministration.”
According to him, the APC remains determined to reposition Osun on the path of peace, progress, and sustainable development, values he said the state is currently yearning for.
He said the party’s sustained political push is driven by its grassroots machinery, the Alubarika Movement, which, he said, embodies a shared vision of service to the people and loyalty to the APC and its national leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This determination informed our collective journey under the banner of the Alubarika Movement, a grassroots political machinery with a shared vision, service, and an abiding commitment to our great party, the people of Osun State, and the administration of our leader and President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he stated.
Basiru noted that the Alubarika Movement has evolved into a strong progressive platform rooted in political inclusion and purposeful leadership.
“Over the years, the Movement has served as a rallying point for like-minded patriots committed to advancing the principles of good governance, accountability, and service to the people of Osun,” he added.
He said the group has become a formidable force in constructively interrogating the policies of the PDP-led administration and creating public awareness about what he described as its “ineptitude.”
Basiru further disclosed that the Alubarika Movement will vigorously mobilize support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“In this regard, the Alubarika Movement will work with all vigour to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, and in the coming months, programmes and activities toward that direction will be organized under its auspices.”
