The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has opted out of the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.
He, however, said that the return of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to power in the state next year is not negotiable.
At a meeting of the party’s stakeholders in Osogbo, the state capital, on Friday, Oyetola, who governed the state between 2018 and 2022 and lost his re-election bid to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, said that APC has enough qualified, competent and people of outstanding track records who could aspire to the office.
He said that this is ‘a unique selling proposition to feast on, and we will continue to complement the federal government’s efforts on all fronts’.
Oyetola tasked the APC governorship aspirants to embrace peace and be each others’ keepers by avoiding a campaign of calumny, bitterness and politics of acrimony.
He said the party would not spare any legitimate effort to return to power, describing it as strong and able to unseat Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Commenting on the coalition moves by some politicians against President Bola Tinubu, Oyetola said that poses no threat to APC.
He said: ‘It is crystal clear that the coalition is drifting to collapse.
‘This has no iota of effect on us, particularly in Osun. ‘We knew this since it is the same TOP that metamorphosed to Omoluabi and later ADC (Action Democratic Congress).
‘We are resolute to come victorious in the future elections, and this is incontestable’.
He applauded the leadership and members of the party for their continuous commitment to the growth and development of the party since 2022, assuring them of his avowed commitment to lead the party to victory come 2026.
On the need for members of the party to mobilise massively for the Continuous Voter Registration and collection of Permanent Voter Cards, Oyetola described the move as a prerequisite for victory.
Prominent members of the APC seeking the governorship ticket include the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru; Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji; Prince Dotun Babayemi; Senator Jide Omoworare; Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi; Kunle Adegoke, a Senior Advocate of Niger, and a Professor of Mathematics in the United Sates, Rafiu Durodoye.
The Osogbo meeting was co-presided over by the APC state chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Lawal; and Chairman of the Elders’ Caucus, Chief Sola Akinwumi.
Also in attendance were APC State Secretary, Alhaji Kamorudeen Alao; Treasurer, Hon. Femi Kujembola; former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Protocol, Ambassador Issah Niniola; former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Adejare Bello; member House of Representatives representing Ilesa North Federal Constituency, Hon. Wole Oke; former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye; Hon. Wale Afolabi; former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Akintunde Adegboye, and former national and state assembly lawmakers.
Governorship aspirants Oyebamiji (popularly called AMBO); Omoworare; Babayemi; Adegoke and Senator Mudashiru Hussein were also in attendance. There were also local government chairmen and councillors, APC local government chairmen, APC state and local government leaders, stakeholders at wards, local government areas and the state.
