The opposition All Progressive Congress in Osun has sunk into deeper crisis over who becomes the governorship candidate ahead of next year’s election.
Until last week when former Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore came out more forcefully saying he has the backing of President Bola Tinubu to join the race, most party members had been divided among aspirants.
The likes the current Director General of the National Inland Waterways Authority Bola Oyebanji, National Secretary of the party, Basiru Ajibola, Prince Dotun Babayemi, a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Adegoke and a former Senator, Jide Omoworare all had factions of supporters.
The equation, according to party members, appears to have changed last week when Omisore who briefly served as the National Secretary of the APC came out while holding a meeting with chairmen of the party.
Said to be worrisome to many party leaders is Omisore’s ability to pull supporters of Oyebanji, who is believed to be the anointed candidate of the former Governor current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
One of the leaders of the party and a former House of Representatives member Ajibola Famurewa, accused party leaders of rewarding people who did not work for the party.
Famurewa who is now campaigning for Omisore said Omisore is the only one who can win the election next year.
He said, “Only a fool will keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. What we are about to do now is to go back to basis and do it the way it should be done.
“We have to return the party back to the local level. The ward chairmen owns the party. If we keep doing like before, we won’t get any positive result.
“When we suffered the loss in 2022, a committee headed by Professor Isaac Adewole was set up and one of the recommendations of the committee was that we have to restructure the party and give it back to those who own it.
“The committee also said we must improve on our reward system if we want to win future election. The committee said we must ensure that those who work for the party are rewarded.”
A former spokesman to Oyetola, expressed fears over the party’s ability to win the next election if it fails to put its house in order.
Ismail Omipidan, while writing on his Facebook page on Wednesday, said “2026: I pity Osun APC. Where are the elders? Etun fi edi sere! Two wrongs don’t make a right. The earlier you apply the breaks now, the better for you! I will return to this matter at a later date. May Allah spare our lives beyond the day.
NPO Reports that other stakeholders of the party are lamenting the directions of things as the party faces election next year.