Osun 2026: APC Inaugurates 292-Member Campaign Council, Declares Victory a Must

National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda describes the August 15 poll as a litmus test and rehearsal for the 2027 general elections

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Tuesday inaugurated a 292-member National Campaign Council for the party’s Osun State governorship election campaign, describing the upcoming poll as a critical litmus test that will determine the party’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Transcorp Hilton Event Centre in Abuja, formally launching the APC’s campaign machinery for the Osun off-cycle governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026. The council, chaired by Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Senator Hope Uzodimma, brings together the party’s top leadership in a comprehensive bid to reclaim Osun State from the ruling Accord Party.

Addressing the team at the inauguration, Professor Yilwatda emphasised the strategic importance of the Osun election, noting that it would be the only governorship election preceding the next general elections. He described the poll as a rehearsal for the political machinery the party is preparing for 2027, stressing that winning the Osun election is non-negotiable for the APC. “Today’s exercise is one of our major tests. Coming to the South-West, this is the last governorship election before the 2027 general election. This will be our litmus test. It will measure our level of preparedness for 2027,” Yilwatda declared. “This will be our practice ground. It will be our rehearsal for the political machine we are preparing for 2027. That is why winning the Osun election is a must for the APC. The party will mobilise resources, coordinate our people, and move into Osun in large numbers after this inauguration.”

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The APC National Chairman further explained that members of the campaign council were carefully selected across geopolitical zones to enable the party to reach out to prospective voters in Osun State across ethnic divides. He outlined a comprehensive grassroots strategy involving governors from the South-West, South-South, and South-East taking responsibility for one senatorial district each, alongside National Assembly members, House of Assembly members, and local government chairmen conducting person-to-person campaigns across the state. Governors from the North were also expected to join with their respective local government chairmen and legislators to intensify grassroots engagement.

Yilwatda emphasised the importance of house-to-house campaigns, stating that every resident of Osun State—whether indigene or non-indigene—has an APC member who can personally persuade them to support the party. He noted that the committee was carefully selected to represent all tribes, languages, and shades of opinion, from polling units to every stakeholder represented. He also called on the Directorate of Women Affairs to intensify efforts in mobilising women door-to-door to secure victory in the election.

In his remarks, Governor Hope Uzodimma thanked the APC National Working Committee for the confidence reposed in the team and assured that they would work diligently to regain Osun State for the APC. The PGF Chairman declared that the campaigns would be issue-based and evidence-driven, resting on the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the enduring performance of progressive governance across states. Uzodimma appealed to party leaders to bury their individual differences and work together with the party candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, to ensure victory. “Public responsibility is not a declaration; it is a covenant demanding sacrifice, discipline and measurable results. We therefore accept this assignment as a solemn obligation to our great party, to our democracy and to the good people of Osun State,” he stated.

According to the campaign council chairman, the assignment is clear: to listen to the people of Osun State, speak to their hopes and aspirations, earn their confidence and convince them to vote for the APC and its governorship candidate. “He is a tested, competent and people-centred candidate whose vision is anchored on prudent leadership, inclusive prosperity and renewed confidence in government,” Uzodimma said of Oyebamiji.

The party candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, vowed that he was in the race to win, declaring that the people of Osun State could not afford another four-year tenure for the incumbent, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party. Oyebamiji reported that across engagements with traditional rulers, private sector operators, market men and women, students, artisans, religious leaders, women and youths, one message had been consistent: the people of Osun State can no longer endure another day of the current administration beyond November 27, 2026. “With less than two weeks to the election, I am delighted to report to our leaders that the people of Osun State have received our prosperity message with uncommon excitement. The state is ready for the All Progressives Congress to complete the rescue mission and return Osun to the path of progressive governance, responsible leadership and sustainable development,” Oyebamiji declared.

The National Campaign Council is composed of eminent party leaders, governors, members of the National Working Committee, principal officers of the National Assembly, ministers, federal and state legislators, and other key stakeholders drawn from across the country to drive the party’s campaign towards victory. Serving as co-chairmen alongside Uzodimma are Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Kabir Masari, serves as Deputy Chairman, while Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, is Secretary of the Council.

To ensure seamless coordination and effective execution of campaign activities, the party also constituted 12 specialised sub-committees covering Election Planning and Management; Finance and Resource Mobilisation; Contact, Grassroots Engagement and Mobilisation; Logistics and Campaign Management; Monitoring and Compliance; Protocol; Media and Publicity; Security; Youth Mobilisation; Special Interest (Persons with Disabilities) Mobilisation; Women’s Mobilisation; and Secretariat functions. Governor Hope Uzodimma chairs the Election Planning and Management Committee, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu heads the Finance and Resource Mobilisation Committee. Former Minister of State for Education, Felix Abdullahi, chairs the Media and Publicity Committee, with APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka serving as Secretary. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, was appointed Secretary of the Security Committee.

Political observers regard the Osun governorship election as a major electoral contest capable of influencing political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, August 15, 2026, for the Osun State Governorship Election. The APC’s comprehensive campaign structure reflects the party’s determination to reclaim the state and use the election as a template for its national campaign strategy in 2027.

Osun 2026: APC Inaugurates 292-Member Campaign Council, Declares Victory a Must

Appeal Court Nullifies INEC Deregistration Order, Restores ADC, Accord Party, Three Others

Appeal Court overturns Federal High Court judgment, ruling the trial court lacked jurisdiction and acted in “judicial insubordination”

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has delivered a landmark judgment setting aside the Federal High Court order that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and three other political parties. In a unanimous decision delivered on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice Abba Mohammed declared the June 15 judgment of the Federal High Court “null and void,” describing the lower court’s action as “judicial impertinence.” The appellate court restored the legal status of all five affected parties—the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)—clearing the way for their participation in the 2027 general elections.

The appellate court identified multiple fundamental flaws in the trial court’s handling of the case, ranging from jurisdictional errors to procedural violations. The three-member panel meticulously examined each ground of appeal and found that the lower court’s judgment was not only legally unsound but also procedurally improper, warranting its complete nullification.

First, the appellate court held that the Federal High Court wrongly assumed jurisdiction over a fundamentally incompetent suit. The case was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which the Court of Appeal ruled was a “non-juristic entity” lacking the legal capacity (locus standi) to institute the proceedings. The court further emphasized that since there was no valid suit before the Federal High Court, every consequential order made against the affected political parties, including the directive compelling INEC to withdraw their recognition, automatically collapsed. This foundational defect rendered the entire proceedings null and void from the outset.

Second, the appellate court strongly criticised the trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, for proceeding to deliver judgment despite a subsisting order from the Court of Appeal directing a stay of proceedings. The panel noted that the trial court acted in defiance of an earlier order made on May 22, which directed it to halt proceedings pending the determination of an appeal. The court declared that what the learned trial court did amounted to judicial impertinence or what the Supreme Court called judicial insubordination. The court further observed that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acts in such a manner is unfit for the bench, as the conduct amounts to judicial rascality.

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Third, the appellate court also ruled that the trial judge failed to properly evaluate crucial evidence placed before him. Documentary evidence showing that the affected political parties had won elective seats in previous elections was ignored before the trial court reached its conclusion. The court noted that the evidence before the court clearly shows compliance with Section 225A of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended), and that the judgment of the trial judge was perverse. This failure to consider available evidence undermined the credibility and validity of the lower court’s findings.

Furthermore, the Court of Appeal clarified that the compliance requirements of Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively, meaning that meeting one of the conditions for continued registration is sufficient. The court also noted that the suit was premature as election cycles in some states were still ongoing when it was filed. This clarification is significant because it establishes a more flexible standard for political parties seeking to maintain their registration with INEC, potentially affecting how the electoral body evaluates party performance in future elections.

The legal battle originated from Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators against INEC, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the five political parties. The plaintiffs had asked the Federal High Court to compel INEC to deregister the ADC, APP, AA, Accord Party, and ZLP, arguing that they failed to satisfy the constitutional conditions required for continued registration under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the plaintiffs, the affected parties failed to secure at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during presidential elections or win elective offices at the federal, state, or local government levels. They argued that the parties performed poorly during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections and therefore no longer deserved recognition by INEC. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), supported the plaintiffs’ position before the trial court, arguing that INEC had a constitutional obligation to deregister political parties that no longer met the minimum constitutional requirements.

Justice Peter Lifu accepted those arguments and ordered INEC to immediately deregister the five parties, barring them from participating in the 2027 general elections. However, dissatisfied with the judgment, INEC and all the affected political parties approached the Court of Appeal seeking to have the verdict set aside, setting the stage for Tuesday’s landmark ruling.

The ruling has elicited widespread reactions from political stakeholders, legal practitioners, and civil society organizations, with many hailing it as a victory for democracy and judicial independence. The African Democratic Congress described the ruling as a “watershed moment” for Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. In a statement titled “2027: Court of Appeal Clears the Road for ADC,” the party commended the appellate justices for their courage, independence and commitment to justice. The party said the judgment reaffirmed the judiciary’s constitutional role as the final guardian of democratic governance and the rule of law.

According to the ADC, the appellate court correctly ruled that the June 15 judgment was a nullity because it was delivered in violation of an existing order of the Court of Appeal. The ADC also welcomed the court’s finding that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the suit and that their claims were speculative and legally unsustainable. The party further stated that the latest judgment, combined with an earlier Federal High Court ruling affirming the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee, has finally removed every pending legal challenge to the party’s leadership and legal status.

Counsel to the Action Peoples Party (APP), Barr. Peter Abang, expressed satisfaction with the appellate court’s decision, stating that the judgment is a victory for democracy in Nigeria and that in the administration of justice, the hierarchy of Courts in Nigeria must be respected as they establish an unbroken chain of command and no court has the luxury to sit in judgment against the correctness or otherwise of orders of superior courts. The Court of Appeal allowed the separate appeals filed by the political parties and awarded monetary costs of ₦1 million against the National Forum of Former Legislators for filing the incompetent suit.

The Court of Appeal’s decision has significant implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections. The ruling restores the legal status of the ADC, APP, AA, Accord Party, and ZLP, allowing them to participate fully in the upcoming elections. This means that these parties can now field candidates, mobilize supporters, and contest for elective positions across all levels of government without the legal cloud that had hung over their existence since the June 15 judgment.

The judgment reinforces the principle that INEC must follow due process and cannot deregister political parties based on suits filed by entities lacking legal standing. This protects political parties from frivolous legal challenges that could destabilize their operations and disenfranchise their supporters. The appellate court’s strong criticism of the trial judge for “judicial insubordination” serves as a warning to lower courts to respect judicial hierarchy and appellate orders, reinforcing the importance of procedural compliance in the administration of justice.

Finally, the clarification that Section 225A requirements should be interpreted disjunctively may affect how INEC evaluates political parties’ performance in future elections. This interpretation provides a more lenient standard for political parties to maintain their registration, potentially encouraging political pluralism and competition within Nigeria’s democratic space. As the country prepares for the 2027 general elections, this ruling ensures that the political landscape remains inclusive and that no party is unfairly excluded from the democratic process through procedural irregularities or jurisdictional overreach.

Appeal Court Nullifies INEC Deregistration Order, Restores ADC, Accord Party, Three Others

Presidency tells Peter Obi to stop dreaming, insists he lost 2023 presidential election

The Presidency has intensified its criticism of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), telling him to stop claiming victory in the 2023 presidential election and accept what it described as his defeat at the polls.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the remarks in a lengthy post on his verified X account while reacting to Obi’s appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

Onanuga said he watched only part of the interview before turning it off, describing it as a failed attempt to revive Obi’s political fortunes ahead of the 2027 general election. He accused the former Anambra State governor of making misleading claims, particularly when comparing his political journey with that of President Tinubu.

According to the presidential aide, President Tinubu has remained consistent with his political ideology throughout his career. He noted that Tinubu’s political path moved from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress (AC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and eventually the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Onanuga also recalled Tinubu’s role in the pro-democracy struggle following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, saying the President endured detention, lived in exile during military rule and later returned to serve as governor of Lagos State before becoming one of the founding leaders of the APC.

“Tinubu remained true to his ideological persuasion. He stayed in the same political lane,” Onanuga said.

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The presidential spokesman contrasted Tinubu’s political history with Obi’s movement across several parties. He pointed out that Obi was elected governor of Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) before moving to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), later contesting the presidency on the platform of the Labour Party, and eventually joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Onanuga alleged that Obi has repeatedly abandoned political parties instead of helping to rebuild them after internal crises or electoral setbacks.

He claimed that the Labour Party became embroiled in a leadership crisis after the 2023 presidential election and alleged that campaign funds remained a subject of unresolved questions. According to him, rather than stay behind to strengthen the party, Obi opted to leave.

The presidential aide further alleged that Obi also exited the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after reportedly concluding that securing the party’s presidential ticket would be difficult, accusing him of frequently changing political platforms whenever circumstances became unfavorable.

Onanuga also faulted Obi for continuing to insist that he won the 2023 presidential election, despite the Supreme Court judgment affirming President Tinubu’s victory.

According to him, Channels Television presenter Seun Okinbaloye gave Obi an opportunity during the interview to reconsider his position on the election, but the former Labour Party presidential candidate maintained that he was denied victory.

“You lost, Peter. You didn’t win that election. You came third,” Onanuga stated, adding that Obi should accept the outcome instead of revisiting the election more than three years after the Supreme Court delivered its final judgment.

He maintained that while Obi performed strongly despite contesting without a nationwide political structure, the election had been concluded legally and politically.

“Mr Obi, it is time you accepted the stark reality of the loss. Stop dreaming of a victory that you never had,” Onanuga added.

The Presidency’s remarks followed Obi’s interview in which the former presidential candidate defended his political record and renewed his call for reforms to improve Nigeria’s electoral process. Obi also urged public officials and political opponents to focus more on addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges, insecurity, unemployment and poverty rather than making him the subject of political debates.

The latest exchange underscores the deepening political rivalry between the Presidency and Obi as political realignments and preparations for the 2027 general election continue to shape Nigeria’s political landscape.

Presidency tells Peter Obi to stop dreaming, insists he lost 2023 presidential election