“We Are Experts in Removing Sitting Governors” — APC Campaign Chief

The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, Oluwole Oke, has expressed strong confidence that incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke will be defeated at the polls.

Oke made the remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of APC campaign committees in Osogbo, where he declared that the party was fully prepared to take over power in Osun State.

According to him, the APC has identified key governance gaps in the current administration and intends to leverage them to secure victory for its candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

He accused the Adeleke-led administration of mismanaging state resources and failing to deliver adequately across critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and agriculture.

“The truth remains that the government has failed the people of Osun State on all fronts. In the area of administration, they have displayed incompetence… the resources that have accrued to the state in the last three and a half years have been plundered and misused,” Oke said.

He further argued that while salary payment to civil servants was commendable, it should not be considered a major achievement of governance, stressing that it is a basic obligation of government.

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Oke assured APC supporters that the party’s campaign structure would work aggressively across all wards and local governments to ensure victory.

“With that, I don’t have fear in my mind that we will win this election. We are experts in removing a sitting governor. We will remove Adeleke before 10 p.m. on August 15, 2026,” he added.

He also promised that an Oyebamiji-led APC government would prioritise welfare, infrastructure renewal, and poverty reduction if elected.

In a swift reaction, the Deputy Spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed Oke’s comments as political propaganda aimed at misleading the public.

Bamiji insisted that the Adeleke administration has recorded significant progress across key sectors, including education, healthcare delivery, and infrastructure development.

“Schools in Osun under the Adeleke administration are in good state. Hospitals are functioning well and meeting expectations. All other sectors are also receiving government attention,” he said.

He added that the people of Osun would overwhelmingly re-elect Governor Adeleke, claiming the result would be clear long before the APC’s projected timeline.

“We won’t wait till 10 p.m. on election day. By 12 p.m., the people of Osun would have voted in Governor Adeleke for another term,” Bamiji stated.

The Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, 2026, with major political parties already intensifying campaigns across the state.

Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election, is flying the flag of the Accord Party, while APC’s Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, are also key contenders in the race.

Political analysts say the election is shaping up to be a highly competitive contest, with party structures, voter sentiment, and economic conditions expected to play major roles in determining the outcome.

Observers also note that Osun State remains one of the most politically competitive states in the South-West, with power frequently shifting between major parties.

“We Are Experts in Removing Sitting Governors” — APC Campaign Chief

2027 Lagos Race: Tinubu, GAC Endorses Obafemi Hamzat

President Bola Tinubu has formally endorsed Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election following a crucial meeting with members of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The endorsement marks a major political development in Lagos ahead of the 2027 governorship race and further strengthens Hamzat’s position within the ruling APC structure in the state.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Obafemi Hamzat described the endorsement as a vote of confidence from respected political leaders who believe in his capacity to lead Lagos State.

“These are fathers, they are leaders, they’ve seen a lot of Christmas, they’ve seen a lot of Eid El Kabir, so they have experience, therefore I’m really excited that they brought me here to meet Mr President, and Mr President has blessed us and blessed the decision of GAC,” Hamzat said.

The deputy governor acknowledged the enormous responsibility attached to governing Lagos but expressed confidence in his experience after serving under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu since 2019.

“Nobody is ready because the assignment is audacious. But what you have is experience. Having served as Deputy Governor, I’ve learnt a lot. I know the room. I know where the kitchen is. With God’s blessings and the support of all my fathers here, I really don’t have any fear,” he added.

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The endorsement by President Tinubu came barely 24 hours after the 34-member Governance Advisory Council (GAC) unanimously adopted Hamzat as its consensus candidate during a strategic meeting at Lagos House, Marina.

The GAC, widely regarded as the highest political decision-making body within the Lagos APC, reportedly also pledged to purchase Hamzat’s ₦50 million nomination form as a show of total support and party unity ahead of the primaries.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had earlier publicly declared Hamzat as his preferred successor during a gathering with party stakeholders in Lagos.

Political observers believe the back-to-back endorsements from both Sanwo-Olu and Tinubu significantly position Hamzat as the frontrunner in the race to succeed the incumbent governor in 2027.

Despite the consensus arrangement, GAC leaders clarified that the APC governorship primary election scheduled for May 21 would still hold in line with the party’s constitutional guidelines.

Nomination forms for aspirants are expected to close on May 4.

Reacting to criticism from some party members over the adoption process, GAC chairman Tajudeen Olusi defended the decision, insisting that consensus remains a legitimate political strategy within democratic systems.

“We are in the arena of politics and people are free to express their opinions in a free society. But I have been in politics for a very long time. It is part of the system that we come together, put our heads together and take a course of action,” Olusi stated.

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat is an engineer and seasoned technocrat who previously served as Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode before becoming deputy governor in 2019.

His emergence as the APC consensus candidate signals continuity within the political structure established by President Tinubu in Lagos over two decades ago.

The latest endorsement is expected to reshape political alignments within the Lagos APC as consultations and campaigns ahead of the 2027 governorship election intensify.

2027 Lagos Race: Tinubu, GAC Endorses Obafemi Hamzat

Kachikwu Celebrates Court Victory, Says ADC Hijack Plot Failed

Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has hailed the Federal High Court judgment nullifying recent congresses and conventions conducted by a faction allegedly aligned with former Senate President David Mark, describing the exercise as “kangaroo congresses and conventions.”

Kachikwu made the remarks while reacting to a judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which reportedly invalidated the disputed congresses and convention conducted by the rival faction within the party.

In a statement issued shortly after the ruling, Kachikwu described the judgment as a major setback for individuals he accused of attempting to illegally take control of the ADC structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Today, a Federal High Court in Maitama nullified the kangaroo congresses and convention conducted by the David Mark-led group,” Kachikwu said.

According to him, Justice Abdulmalik held that the group lacked the legal standing to organise the congresses and convention in the first place.

“In her judgement, which could be classified as a stinging rebuke, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that even though this group didn’t have any locus, they proceeded to conduct, in her own words, ‘kangaroo congresses and convention,’ which she proceeded to nullify,” he stated.

Kachikwu further explained that the court recognised the state chairmen of the party, who constitute the National Executive Committee (NEC), as the legitimate body empowered to organise congresses and national conventions for the party.

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“She also held that, with the lacuna within the leadership of the ADC, the state chairmen of the party who make up the NEC of the party are the rightful body to conduct a national convention and congresses at the different levels and that INEC should recognise them as such,” he added.

The ADC chieftain said he had repeatedly warned against attempts by external political actors to seize control of the party structure for personal political interests.

“I had long warned that the ADC is not for sale and that these political buccaneers would be shown the way out through the same back door they came in from,” he declared.

Kachikwu maintained that the court ruling had now exposed what he described as a failed attempt to hijack the opposition party.

“With this judgment, it has become clear that these desperados who attempted to hijack our party have failed woefully. We are aware that they are shopping for other parties to destroy and wish them bon voyage,” he said.

The internal crisis within the ADC has intensified in recent months amid growing political realignments and coalition talks ahead of the 2027 elections.

Several opposition politicians and political blocs have reportedly explored alliances with smaller parties, including the ADC, as part of broader efforts to reposition ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Although former Senate President David Mark has not publicly responded to the latest allegations or the court ruling, the judgment is expected to deepen the leadership dispute within the party.

Kachikwu also used the opportunity to reassure party supporters that the ADC remains stable and will participate fully in future elections.

“To our party faithful, I urge you to remain vigilant. The battle is not over till it is over,” he stated.

“The ADC will be on next year’s ballot, and any Nigerian who genuinely desires to salvage Nigeria should see the ADC as a ready home. We shall overcome.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to issue an official statement regarding the implications of the court ruling on the party’s leadership structure.

Political observers say the development could significantly influence ongoing opposition coalition discussions and internal power struggles within smaller political parties ahead of 2027.

Kachikwu Celebrates Court Victory, Says ADC Hijack Plot Failed