A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has attributed the party’s defeat in the August 15, 2026 governorship election to the leadership style and political decisions of the state’s immediate past governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.
The group, known as the Osun APC Stakeholders Forum, made the allegation in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu on August 18, three days after the election.
The letter was signed by Professor Akin Adeyanju, the forum’s Coordinator, and Honourable Sola Ajayi, its Secretary.
The letter, titled “Why We Lost the Osun State August 15, 2026 Gubernatorial Election,” described the forum as a pressure group within the APC working to protect the interests of the party.
While commending Tinubu for his leadership and support for the APC before and after the election, the group argued that the party’s loss occurred despite the President’s backing.
It specifically accused Oyetola of dominating the distribution of federal appointments and the selection of electoral candidates, allegedly favouring his allies, associates and people from his political circle.
The group stated, “We respectfully submit that the principal reason for our defeat was the conduct of the immediate past governor of the state and Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.”
The group also attached a list of individuals it claimed had benefited from federal appointments under the political structure associated with the former governor.
Among those listed were Oyetola; the APC governorship candidate and Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebamiji; his running mate, Benjamin Adereti; and Dayo Babaranti, identified as an Executive Director of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation.
The list also included Fatai Adeyemi, Adeniran Aderogba, Lekan Badmus, Charles Akindiji, Ayo Omidiran, Nike Omoworare, Dayo Eluyemi, Segun Fanibe, Rotimi Makinde, Remi Omowaiye, Kayode Sowade, Taiwo Olaiya, Amidu Tadese, Oladele Gboyega, Festus Olowogboyega, Obawale Adebisi, Taiwo Oluga, Bosun Oyintiloye and Sunday Akere.
The forum further claimed that 31 local government Renewed Hope Ambassadors and 332 ward-level Renewed Hope Ambassadors were appointed from what it described as the same political tendency.
Beyond appointments, the group alleged that Oyetola had a significant influence over the selection of the party’s candidates for elective positions.
It said the alleged process covered the governorship and deputy governorship tickets, three senatorial seats, nine House of Representatives positions and 26 State House of Assembly seats.
According to the stakeholders, the alleged concentration of appointments and political opportunities alienated sections of the party’s grassroots and weakened its support across the state.
The letter stated, “We believe this pattern of exclusion left the party’s base disengaged and cost us the support of critical stakeholders and communities across the state’s three senatorial districts, contributing directly to our defeat on August 15.”
The Osun APC Stakeholders Forum urged Tinubu to order an independent assessment of the party’s leadership structure in the state and the process through which candidates were selected for the election.
It also called for a reconciliation meeting involving Oyetola, party elders and aggrieved members, with the APC National Working Committee providing oversight.
The group further demanded a review of the distribution of federal appointments in Osun and the establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate the party’s primary elections and complaints reportedly raised by some stakeholders.
The group said future candidate selection should be based on wider consultations rather than the decision of an individual political leader.
It equally called for federal appointments and future electoral tickets to be distributed across Osun’s three senatorial districts and among the different tendencies within the party.
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