By John Dike
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its commitment to the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, dismissing allegations that its leaders are not cooperating with Governor Ademola Adeleke on the president’s re-election campaign
.
The party described the allegation by Muniru Adebayo Raji, a Special Adviser to Governor Adeleke, as false, misplaced and an attempt to misinform the public about the APC’s preparations for the forthcoming election.
Osun APC Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, stated this in a press statement issued on Wednesday, October 21, in response to comments allegedly made by Raji during a radio interview monitored in Osogbo.
Lawal maintained that the party remained resolute in its determination to secure victory for Tinubu, stressing that the presidential election was too important for the APC to approach with complacency.
According to him, the party recognises that Tinubu’s victory would be a collective achievement for its members and supporters, adding that the APC is prepared to make necessary concessions to ensure electoral success.
The chairman described Tinubu as the party’s national leader and expressed confidence in the president’s reforms, which he said were yielding positive results across the country.
He, however, accused Raji of spreading misinformation by alleging that APC leaders in Osun were unwilling to cooperate with Adeleke in the collective effort to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
Lawal questioned whether the governor had formally invited any APC leader to a meeting to discuss strategies for the presidential campaign and whether such an invitation had been rejected.
He challenged Raji to provide evidence of any instance in which APC leaders rebuffed an attempt by the governor to engage them on the matter.
The APC chairman also questioned the motive behind the aide’s comments, suggesting that they might be connected to concerns over the impending dissolution of Adeleke’s cabinet and the possibility of losing his appointment.
On the projection that Tinubu should secure 1.5 million votes from Osun State, Lawal described Raji’s attempt to hold APC leaders solely responsible if the target was not achieved as misplaced.
He argued that the responsibility for securing the projected votes could not be assigned to the APC leadership alone, particularly amid what he described as resistance within the Accord Party to the governor’s political position on the presidential election.
The chairman further disputed Raji’s claim that Adeleke had begun campaigning for Tinubu across towns, villages and communities in the state.
According to Lawal, the governor had not been publicly seen campaigning for Tinubu since his appearance at the inauguration of the presidential campaign committee in Abuja the previous week.
He described the claim as misinformation, insisting that public statements about the governor’s campaign activities should reflect verifiable events.
Despite the disagreement, Lawal reiterated that the APC was working assiduously towards Tinubu’s re-election and was fully prepared to make concessions, irrespective of how difficult or unpalatable they might be, to achieve victory.
He added that the party’s political objectives extended beyond the presidential election to include victories for its candidates contesting National and State Houses of Assembly seats in the forthcoming elections.
“No one can proffer to love one’s father more than his children,” Lawal said, describing Tinubu as the political father of the APC and declaring that his victory remained the party’s foremost priority in Osun.
The statement comes amid political discussions over the role of Governor Adeleke, who has been listed as Osun State coordinator in the presidential campaign structure for Tinubu’s re-election, and the extent to which the arrangement will translate into cooperation between the governor’s political camp and the APC leadership in the state.
