In a dramatic turn signaling renewed cohesion within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, seven prominent aspirants have withdrawn their ambitions to endorse former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, as the party’s consensus candidate. The decision emerged from a high-stakes closed-door meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, aimed at resolving protracted internal crises that had threatened to fracture the party’s primaries scheduled for December.
This development, reported across multiple outlets on December 10, 2025, underscores Tinubu’s hands-on role in stabilizing APC structures in key southwestern states.
The aspirants, who had earlier faced screening hurdles including disqualifications for procedural lapses such as insufficient evidence of sponsorship from five registered party members per local government area as per APC Constitution Articles 9.3(i) and 31.2(ii), converged under Tinubu’s mediation to prioritize party unity over personal bids. Notable figures stepping down include former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, insurance mogul Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kunle Adegoke, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh—who had been among the few cleared alongside Oyebamiji by the APC screening committee.
Their collective endorsement of Oyebamiji positions him as the frontrunner, potentially averting a contentious multi-candidate primary.
Significantly absent from the reconciliation session was former APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, who had been disqualified alongside several others and previously dismissed the screening outcome as “a joke.” Omisore’s boycott highlights lingering fault lines, with party insiders noting his unresolved grievances could complicate full unification efforts. The meeting’s focus on presenting a united front against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Governor Ademola Adeleke, was emphasized by stakeholders who appealed for sacrifices in the interest of electoral victory.
This consolidation comes amid broader APC maneuvers in Osun, where internal wrangling had intensified following the screening committee’s clearance of only Oyebamiji and Jimoh initially. By stepping down, the seven aspirants have effectively streamlined the primary race, boosting Oyebamiji’s prospects as a unifying figure with prior experience in Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administration.
Political analysts view this as a strategic masterstroke by Tinubu, leveraging his influence to forestall PDP exploitation of APC divisions in the 2026 polls.
