- says Akpabio, Abbas, APC governors have no electoral value in Osun
By John Dike, Osogbo
The Imole Campaign Council of the Osun State Governor and candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the inclusion of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, in its National Campaign Council for the August 15, 2026 governorship election in the state.
The campaign council described the decision to deploy Matawalle for campaign activities at a time when the country is facing serious security challenges as a “misguided priority,” accusing the APC of placing partisan politics above governance and national responsibilities.
The council also questioned the inclusion of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; their deputies; more than 30 APC governors; ministers and heads of government agencies in the party’s campaign structure for the Osun election.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its spokesman, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the Imole Campaign Council said it had taken note of the inauguration of the APC National Campaign Council, describing the list as unnecessarily large and incapable of determining the outcome of the election.
According to the council, Governor Adeleke maintains cordial personal relationships with several of the APC leaders named in the campaign council, particularly governors who belong to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
It, however, faulted the APC for assigning campaign responsibilities to individuals whose offices, according to the council, require a high degree of neutrality.
“Interestingly, Governor Ademola Adeleke has maintained cordial personal relationships with many on the list, especially with his brother governors in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” the statement said.
The council said the decision to draft Matawalle into the campaign team was particularly questionable given his responsibilities as Minister of State for Defence.
“Incredulously, at a time when Nigeria is confronted with monstrous hydra-headed security challenges across the country, the APC drafted the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, for campaign duties.
“This is laughable and politics beyond rational limits – a misguided focus from governance to classless partisanship,” it said.
The campaign council further raised concerns over the inclusion of the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, as Secretary of the APC Finance and Resource Mobilisation Committee for the election.
It also cited the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, as members of the campaign council.
The Adeleke campaign argued that the roles occupied by such officials demanded neutrality and should not be mixed with partisan campaign activities.
“As if that was not enough, the APC drafted the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, as the Secretary of the Finance and Resource Mobilisation Committee for the election.
“The party also drafted the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele; and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, into the council. These are people whose job demands neutrality and should not be muddied on the altar of politics,” the statement added.
Beyond the composition of the campaign council, the Imole Campaign Council dismissed the electoral significance of several of the national figures listed by the APC, arguing that most of them are not registered voters in Osun State and therefore cannot directly cast ballots in the election.
“With no disrespect to the personalities on the bogus list, the Imole Campaign Council strongly posits that they have no electoral value in Osun State,” the statement said.
The council identified the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, and his predecessor, Iyiola Omisore, as among the few Osun indigenes on the list, while maintaining that most of the other personalities would not vote in the state.
It described the APC campaign council as a routine political gathering that would have little influence on the choice of Osun voters.
“The Imole Campaign Council views the APC national campaign council as another routine get-together and jamboree incapable of influencing the electoral choice of the good people of Osun State,” it said.
The Adeleke campaign further asserted that the constitutional power to determine who governs Osun State belongs to registered voters in the state and cannot be transferred to national political figures.
“In a democracy, the constitutional power to elect the governor of Osun State rests exclusively on the good people of Osun State, and not even the APC national campaign council can change that,” the council said.
It also alleged that Osun voters would reject any attempt to influence the election through intimidation, manipulation or financial inducement.
“Also, the people of Osun State are more than determined to resist any form of intimidation, arm-twisting, manipulation or financial inducement as the state heads to the polls next month,” it added.
The campaign council expressed confidence in Adeleke’s chances of securing another term, attributing the expected support to what it described as the governor’s achievements in office over the past three years.
It claimed that the people of Osun had witnessed what it called “exceptional performance” under Adeleke and would reject a return to what it described as the “era of backwardness, darkness, gross underdevelopment and unprecedented mismanagement of resources” under the previous APC administration.
The APC is expected to intensify its campaign activities in Osun ahead of the August 15 governorship election, in which its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, is challenging the incumbent governor.
The election is expected to be closely contested as the major political parties seek to mobilise voters across the state’s 30 local government areas.
