The All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the last governorship election mainly because it refused to zone its ticket to Osun West Senatorial District. As the countdown to the next election begins, the party is in a quandary and has yet to take a position on the matter. TOBA ADEDEJI reports

Following the defeat it suffered in the hands of the People?s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is warming up for next year?s off-cycle governorship contest to decide who occupies the Bola Ige House in Osogbo, Osun State.

However, the uncertainty over the APC?s position on zoning ahead of next year?s election is one factor that is still unsettling some stakeholders; particularly those who have ambitions to contest.

It is uncertain whether the immediate past governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola would contest. There are insinuations in some quarters that he may not contest because of the bigger national assignment that President Bola Tinubu has entrusted in his hands.

Be that as it may, for the APC to succeed in its bid to dislodge incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke from the Osun State Government House, it must put its house in order by organizing a rancour-free primary ahead of the off-cycle governorship election scheduled for late next year. There is internal wrangling within the fold over who gets its ticket. Based on the party?s convention, the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy and former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has the right of first refusal, as the APC leader in Osun. However, not all stakeholders are willing to accept Oyetola as the consensus candidate.

The APC?s influence in Osun State politics began to wane in 2017 when it lost the Osun West bye-election to the then-PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke. The seat became vacant following the death of the lawmaker who hitherto represented the constituency, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the elder brother of Governor Adeleke. The PDP, which fielded the incumbent governor as its flag bearer for the Osun West senatorial race, defeated the APC by winning nine local government areas, against the APC?s one.

The consensus then was that the APC became unpopular because of the anti-people policies of the APC government led by Rauf Aregbesola. Such policies include the half salary syndrome, single uniform, school reclassification, and the state?s high indebtedness. People were determined to protest against the party with their votes during any election.

This protest vote resulted in APC nearly losing the 2018 governorship election to Adeleke. Though Oyetola corrected most of the anti-people policies when he emerged as governor, following Aregbesola?s exit, he could not convince Osun residents that the party meant well because his government equally faced different challenges, ranging from #EndSAR protest, COVID-19, zero allocation among others.

This was what led to the APC losing the 2022 election. Besides, the party was divided; a faction led by Aregbesola connived with the PDP, particularly in Osun West Senatorial District where members were aggrieved to dislodge the former ruling party from power.

The clamour for a governor of Osun West extraction worked against Oyetola?s re-election bid because he is from Osun Central, while his opponent, Adeleke is from Osun West. Indications are that the APC has not learnt lessons from the last governorship election; because it has yet to take a stand on zoning, which was its undoing in the 2022 election.

That notwithstanding, the party has been working seriously to win more members ahead of next year?s governorship election. Stakeholders have been working assiduously to increase the party?s popularity. Their efforts are yielding positive results. For instance, the party?s decision to expel or suspend members suspected to be Aregbesola loyalists is yielding some good dividends, as some of such loyalists of Aregbesola have opted to return to the APC. Others like the former APC scribe, Rasaq Salinsile have dumped the Aregbesola faction but have refused to return to the APC or even join the PDP.

In this way, the APC?s numerical strength and popularity are increasing daily. For instance, former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Shuaib Oyedokun has dumped the ruling party for the APC. The APC membership is growing in leaps and bounds. Those who joined the party in recent times include former PDP governorship aspirant, Prince Dotun Babayemi; former Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in 2022, Akin Ogunbiyi; former PDP House of Reps candidate, Kayode Oduoye; and former Chief of Staff to Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Peter Babalola among others. They joined the APC with thousands of their supporters.

Aspirants are beginning to emerge for the APC ticket ahead of next year?s election. For example, supporters of the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru are said to have appealed to the party leadership to give the ticket to the former federal lawmaker because of his popularity. Basiru is from Osogbo, in Osun Central. Osogbo, the state capital, has never produced a governor since the creation of the state. But some party bigwigs have kicked against it.

A top official close to President Tinubu is also rooting for the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji to secure the ticket. Oyebamiji is from Ikire, Osun West. However, others believe his candidacy would not appeal to the electorate because the Osun West agenda has been in place since 2018 and that the contest would favour the governor because he has only one term left.

Yet, other party chieftains are advocating for a youth to occupy the governorship seat. In this regard, the Executive Director of Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Olalekan Badmus, who hails from Osogbo, Osun Central, is being tipped for the party?s ticket.

Other contenders are Senator Jide Omoworare, Prince Dotun Babayemi, former Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, former Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, and legal luminary, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) among others.

Ajibola Basiru

Ajibola Basiru is the national secretary of APC. He is a practising lawyer with years of experience. He was also a lecturer for years. He represented Osun Central in the Senate between 2019 and 2023. He lost his re-election to the Ila-Orangun-born candidate of the PDP, Olubiyi Fadeyi.

He served under Rauf Aregbesola as the Attorney General. He was a trusted ally of Aregbesola before he moved to the Oyetola camp and became the director-general of his campaign council in 2022. He hails from Osogbo and was a student union leader during his days at the university.

However, Basiru is perceived to be a radical politically, which may not work in his favour during the contest. Some people are opposed to him because he is untamable with his strength and knowledge, hence, he might not win the votes of the elites during the election.

Bola Oyebamiji

Bola Oyebamiji is the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA). He served as the Commissioner for Finance under Aregbesola and Oyetola. He was initially anointed to succeed Aregbesola because of the agitation for a power shift to Osun West. His campaign had gained popularity throughout the state with the name ?Dodo Ikire? before Oyetola got the party?s ticket in 2018. He was a banker before he ventured into politics.

He was one of the eggheads under the administration of Oyetola who managed the state finance and was instrumental in repayment of about N100bn debt of Osun State within four years. He is believed to be generous as that made his popularity cut across party lines.

However, he has never been on the ballot before and has never contested for any position before.

Dotun Babayemi

Prince Dotun Babayemi was a chieftain of the PDP until the eve of the last governorship election in 2022. He almost clinched the party?s ticket. He was an ally of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Babayemi is from Gbongan. He has been a visible player in Osun West Senatorial District since 2011.

Prince Babayemi is a strong politician who has created several initiatives to better people?s lives, including a health programme that has benefitted over 350,000 constituents.

Jide Omoworare

Senator Jide Omoworare represented the Osun East Senatorial District between 2015 and 2019. He was appointed as Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Omoworare played a pivotal role in the emergence of Aregbesola as the governor in Ile-Ife because the community has the highest number of voters in the state. He is one of the trusted allies of Tinubu and Oyetola and remained loyal during internal wrangling between Aregbesola and his successor, Oyetola.

Olalekan Badmus

Olalekan Badmus, an engineer by profession, is one of the trusted mentees of Oyetola from Osogbo. He served as the Commissioner of Regional Integration and Special Duties under the administration of Oyetola.

Badmus played a pivotal role in the government of Oyetola, as he handled one of the popular initiatives of that government, the Monthly Free Food Scheme that fed about one million households between 2021 and 2022.

He is appealing to youths because of his large heart. His family is well known for the act of philanthropy. This earned him the sobriquet, ?Omo Oloore?. He does not appear to have political enemies.

The father?s influence in Osogbo, particularly in the religious circle as the Asiwaju Musulumi in Yorubaland, would work in his favour.

Badmus had aspired for the Irepodun/Olorunda/Orolu and Osogbo Federal Constituency seat in 2019. He lost the ticket narrowly because the party leadership had endorsed another aspirant and prevailed on him to step down. He has won the hearts of party members with his humility and generosity.

Power rotation among the three senatorial districts, also known as zoning would play a crucial role in deciding the election. A chieftain of the APC Sunday Akere said his party would only zone its governorship ticket to Osun West Senatorial District if Oyetola refuses to run for another term. Akere who served as Commissioner for Information under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola said the district will be the party?s focus once the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, who has the right of first refusal, refuses to run for another term.

The ex-information commissioner, who also served as Special Adviser to Oyetola on Political Affairs, added that the party has credible personalities across the three senatorial districts who will deliver victory in 2026. However, he said the party would zone the ticket to Osun West Senatorial District for fairness. He said all the political bigwigs from the district are eminently qualified to pick the ticket and deliver victory for the party.

He said: ?For fairness, the APC will focus more on Osun West Senatorial District for its candidate. I will not mention names but you are all aware that every major politician in the district is academically, psychologically and morally qualified to wrestle power from Governor Adeleke in 2026.?

However, a group known as the Osun Progressive Youths has rubbished Akere?s words, adding that he is being undemocratic, and self-serving and does not represent the interest and wishes of APC leaders and members. In a statement, its coordinator, Oladele Oladejo cautioned Akere against causing disunity within APC with his comment on zoning the governorship ticket to Osun West.

He said: ?Such a statement is not expected from someone who is supposed to know better how party politics works. Akere cannot speak for the party. The position of the ex-commissioner also negates the principles of fairness and the ideals of inclusivity on which the APC was formed and thrived. He should stop playing the role of APC spokesman and focus on how to brighten the party?s chances during the election.?

The APC leadership has also refuted Akere?s statement on zoning, saying the party has not taken any position on the zone that would produce its governorship candidate. A statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi urged party members to disregard Akere?s position, adding that he was merely expressing his personal opinion on the matter.

Olabisi said: ?The decision on where the party?s next governorship candidate will come from cannot be taken under the table; it shall be made public to all stakeholders. Therefore, it is needless for our members and supporters to have sleepless nights on the issue as it is a yet-to-be-treated party affair whose process would be as transparent as ever when the time comes.?

An analysis of the last governorship election shows that votes from Osun West gave Adeleke of the PDP victory over his APC counterpart, Oyetola. The APC polled a total number of 116,860 votes against PDP?s 144,558 during the election. The PDP won the election because of the massive support it got in Osun West Senatorial District where it dwarfed the APC by 27,698 votes. In Osun East, the APC got 121,873 votes, while the PDP had 120,080 votes; hence the APC defeated the PDP with 1,793. Also, in Osun Central, the APC got 136,294 votes, against 138,733 votes secured by the PDP. The latter got 2,439 votes more than the former in the district. (The Nation)

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