A fresh crisis has erupted in the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as some members of the party's State Working Committee rejected a newly unveiled Presidential Campaign Council list. The 168-member council was unveiled by the state APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, with the party's governorship candidate in the last election, Bola Oyebamiji, as Director-General. However, the aggrieved officials faulted the composition of the council, questioning the emergence of a parallel campaign structure despite an earlier arrangement reportedly approved by the party's national leadership.
The rejected list was signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola, and endorsed by other officials, including the Welfare Officer, Deaconess Adesola Ayangbile, and the Assistant Organising Secretary, Rasheed Adeniji. They argued that the list failed to comply with established party guidelines, due process, and the principle of inclusiveness. The officials expressed concern over the exclusion of some members of the State Working Committee, who they maintained were expected to be statutory members of the campaign council under the party's guidelines.
The controversy surrounding the campaign council list follows an earlier presidential directive reportedly naming Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu's Presidential Campaign Council in the state. Adeleke, who is associated with the Accord Party, was reportedly appointed state coordinator of Tinubu's re-election campaign by the APC national leadership. The governor inaugurated a 344-member campaign council in Osogbo on October 22, with the APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, in attendance.
The aggrieved officials questioned the rationale behind introducing another structure without adequate explanation or harmonisation with the council already inaugurated by the governor. They suggested that the newly released list could be more acceptable if it was intended specifically for parliamentary campaigns rather than the presidential election. The officials urged the party leadership to clearly define the responsibilities of the different campaign structures to prevent confusion, duplication of duties, and further disagreements.
The officials insisted that the State Executive Committee remained an essential component of the APC's organisational framework, stressing that an effective campaign could only be achieved through mutual respect, coordination, and the involvement of legitimate stakeholders. They demanded an immediate review of the list, with consultations involving relevant stakeholders, including Basiru and the State Director-General of the campaign council.
Despite their objections, the signatories reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and President Tinubu, insisting that their concerns were motivated by the need to strengthen the party rather than undermine its electoral ambitions. They warned that loyalty should not prevent members from speaking out against decisions capable of creating unnecessary divisions and undermining collective efforts.
The officials urged the APC leadership at both state and national levels to address the disagreement without delay, insisting that the party needed a campaign structure that recognised legitimate leadership, accommodated critical stakeholders, and united members behind Tinubu's re-election bid. The party leadership has yet to respond to the officials' demands, leaving the crisis to deepen ahead of the 2027 general election.
Key points
- Osun APC officials reject new Tinubu campaign council list over lack of inclusiveness and due process.
- The rejected list was unveiled by the state APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, without consultations with some members of the State Working Committee.
- The crisis deepens ahead of the 2027 general election, with the party leadership yet to respond to the officials' demands.
