By John Dike Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has renewed his appeal to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his political associates to join the state’s Presidential Campaign Council and work together towards the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
The governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, disclosed this on Monday during an appearance on Rave FM’s Frank Talk programme, anchored by Daniel Odeyemi, where he addressed the controversy surrounding the inauguration of the Osun State chapter of the Presidential Campaign Council.
Rasheed said Adeleke was committed to bringing political stakeholders across party lines together to ensure that Osun State contributes significantly to Tinubu’s re-election bid, insisting that the initiative was not driven by personal or partisan interests.
He explained that the campaign council was constituted at the national level and that Adeleke’s appointment as Osun coordinator followed a directive from Abuja to proceed with the inauguration.
According to him, the governor personally reached out to several prominent political figures in the state, including Oyetola, former APC governorship candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji; APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru; former Governor Bisi Akande; former APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore; and Southwest Coordinator, Professor Iyiola Adeyeye.
He said some of the leaders responded positively to the governor’s calls and mobilised their associates for the inauguration, adding that Akande, Adeyeye and other APC leaders attended the event.
Rasheed maintained that Adeleke’s outreach was intended to secure broad-based political participation in the campaign council, despite the disagreements that followed the inauguration.
Addressing concerns raised during the programme over the use of official communication channels to invite political leaders, the spokesperson said the urgency of the exercise informed the governor’s decision to contact key stakeholders directly.
He, however, stressed that Adeleke was prepared to reopen discussions with those who felt aggrieved over the process, particularly Oyetola and members of his political camp.
“The news is that Mr Governor is now again calling on former Governor Oyetola and all their people to join the council because their names were prominently displayed. He is extending that invitation again formally,” Rasheed said.
He added that the governor was extending an olive branch to the former governor and his associates, urging them to put aside their reservations and participate actively in the council’s activities.
Rasheed also disclosed that the campaign council would soon be organised into subcommittees to coordinate different aspects of the presidential campaign, with further activities expected as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.
He urged political leaders to look beyond disagreements over invitations and participation in the inauguration, arguing that the re-election of Tinubu should take precedence over internal political differences.
“Let us come together within the council to mobilise for Mr President. All these issues of ‘I was invited, I was not invited’, people should grow beyond it,” he said.
The governor’s spokesperson further argued that political stakeholders in Osun should recognise their shared responsibility in supporting Tinubu, pointing to the president’s family relationship with Oyetola as an additional reason for cooperation.
He maintained that Adeleke was not pursuing any special personal interest through the campaign council but was focused on ensuring that Osun played a significant role in the president’s re-election effort.
Rasheed said the governor was optimistic that the state could deliver 1.5 million votes for Tinubu, describing the target as part of the administration’s broader mobilisation efforts.
During the programme, a caller identified as Bimbo also contributed to the discussion, urging Oyetola and Oyebamiji to work closely with Adeleke if they were committed to supporting the president’s re-election.
The controversy surrounding the inauguration of the Osun Presidential Campaign Council has drawn attention to the challenge of coordinating political actors from different parties under a common presidential campaign platform.
Adeleke, who emerged as the Osun coordinator of the council, has continued to appeal for cooperation among the political leaders associated with the initiative.
With the governor renewing his invitation to Oyetola and his allies, attention is expected to shift to whether the various political camps can resolve their differences and work together to achieve the council’s target for Tinubu in Osun State.
