Bola Afolabi
Suspense, drama and more wit foregrounded his coming but a candidate has finally emerged for the All Progressives Congress for next year’s governorship election in Osun State.
He is not any of the hitherto very popular dreamers but the former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Bola Oyebamiji.
He was announced as the APC candidate after seven other aspirants adopted him as a consensus candidate during the party’s primary on Saturday in Osogbo.
In essence, Oyebamiji will face the most formidable opponent, Governor Ademola Adeleke, running on the platform of the Accord Party.
Because of him, the APC establishment had, apparently had to stop the likes of Iyiola Omisore and Ajibola Basiru, big weights who had shown interest.
The APC’s leadership must have known Oyebamiji’s strengths better but the question analysts will onder is whether he has the weight to unseat Adeleke.
Meanwhile, one of the aspirants, Mr Kunle Rasheed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), moved the motion for the adoption of Oyebamiji as a consensus candidate, which was seconded by another aspirant, Sen. Babajide Omoworare.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee for the Congress, Gov. Monday Okpebholo of Edo, thereafter put the ratification of Oyebamiji to a voice vote, which the 1,660 delegates from the 30 local government areas in the state answered in the affirmative.
“By the power vested in me, I declare Oyebamiji as the APC candidate for Aug. 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun” he said.
Okpebholo, in his remarks, thanked the other aspirants for stepping down, commending them for sacrificing their personal ambitions for the interest of the state.
He said APC victory in 2026 could only be achieved through unity and urging other aspirants to work with Oyebamiji for the victory of the party in the election.
Okpebholo, who noted that he had never lost any election, said that as the chairman of the electoral committee, APC would win in the state.
He urged the electorate to support a candidate who would bring development to the state, saying “we are tired of dancing”.
In his acceptance speech, Oyebamiji thanked all the other aspirants for forgoing their ambitions and giving him their support.
He attributed his emergence to the support of the leaders and elders in the APC , both at state and national levels.
Oyebamiji thanked President Bola Tinubu for being a great party leader for the unity and progress of APC.
He said he was making himself available to serve and provide better welfare for the people of the state, affirming that, come 2026, the APC would take control of the government in the state.
The primary election was witnessed by Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, Gov. Suleiman Abdullahi of Nasarawa, and former Governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello.
Others include the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; APC National Secretary, Surajudeen Basiru; party chieftains; and officials of the National Independent Electoral Commission(INEC)
