A fresh crisis has emerged within the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election, as some members of the party’s State Executive Committee have rejected the newly constituted presidential and parliamentary campaign council led by its governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

The aggrieved party officials described the 168-member campaign council as flawed and non-inclusive, alleging that its composition violated established party guidelines, due process and the principle of inclusiveness.

The disagreement followed the announcement of the council by the Osun APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, on Monday, with Oyebamiji appointed as Director-General and Lawal as Deputy Director-General.

The development has further exposed disagreements over who should coordinate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in Osun, following the earlier appointment of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the state’s presidential campaign coordinator.

In a joint statement, four members of the State Executive Committee — State Publicity Secretary Wole Adunola, Welfare Officer Deaconess Adesola Ayangbile, Assistant Organising Secretary Rasheed Adeniji and Ex-Officio member Abiola Ololade — expressed dissatisfaction with the composition of the new council.

They argued that several members of the State Working Committee, who should be statutory members of the campaign structure, were left out of the list.

The officials said the exclusion raised concerns about consultation, due process and respect for the party’s established leadership structure.

“We therefore reject the list in its present form,” they declared.

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They also questioned why another campaign structure had emerged despite an earlier presidential directive reportedly naming Adeleke as Director-General of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council in Osun State.

The signatories recalled that Adeleke had subsequently inaugurated a broad-based campaign team following the directive, making the emergence of another presidential campaign council without adequate clarification a source of confusion.

They questioned whether the newly announced structure was intended to replace the governor-led campaign council or operate alongside it.

The officials suggested that the arrangement would be more understandable if the new list was intended for the parliamentary campaign rather than the presidential election.

They warned that having two competing structures could create confusion, duplicate responsibilities and generate unnecessary friction among party stakeholders.

The disagreement dates back to October 22, when Adeleke inaugurated a 344-member Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council in Osogbo after being appointed to coordinate the President’s re-election campaign in the state.

The governor’s appointment had generated controversy within the APC, particularly because several influential party figures, including former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Oyebamiji and Lawal, were absent from the inauguration.

Although Adeleke pledged to work for Tinubu’s re-election, he made it clear that his support would not extend to APC candidates seeking election into the National Assembly and the Osun State House of Assembly.

The state APC subsequently announced its separate 168-member presidential and parliamentary campaign council, with Oyebamiji as Director-General.

The new council also includes Oyebamiji’s running mate, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu as assistant directors-general. Other prominent members include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Foluke Etteh; former deputy governors Iyiola Omisore, Titi Laoye-Ponnle, Adegboyega Alabi and Adeleke Adewoyin; retired General Alani Akinrinade; and Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode.

The three APC senatorial candidates and nine House of Representatives candidates in the state were also included.

The protesting officials insisted that the State Executive Committee remained an important part of the party’s organisational structure and should not be sidelined in decisions concerning a state-wide campaign council.

They called for an immediate review of the list through consultations involving relevant stakeholders, particularly APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, and the state campaign Director-General.

According to them, the party needs a campaign structure that respects established leadership arrangements, accommodates critical stakeholders and promotes unity ahead of the 2027 elections.

Despite their objections, the four officials reaffirmed their commitment to the APC and Tinubu’s re-election bid, insisting that their concerns were aimed at preventing internal disagreements from weakening the party’s campaign.

The latest development adds another dimension to the political contest within the Osun APC, as party leaders struggle to harmonise the different campaign arrangements ahead of the 2027 general election.

Tinubu’s Re-election: Osun APC Leaders Reject Oyebamiji-Led Campaign Council

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji of taking possession of mobile phones and other devices stolen from members of his team during an attack in Ado-Ekiti.

Sowore alleged that the governor personally instructed the commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), identified as Ogidan, to hand over the recovered devices to him instead of returning them to their owners.

The activist made the allegation in a statement posted on his verified X account on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, describing the reported development as an attempt to interfere with evidence connected to the October 30 attack.

According to Sowore, his team had been informed that Oyebanji directed the RRS commander to transfer the recovered devices to him on Monday.

“We have been informed that Governor Biodun Oyebanji personally instructed the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Commander, Ogidan, to hand over our recovered devices to him yesterday. Why would the governor take possession of evidence connected to the brutal attack on us?” he queried.

The latest allegation follows an earlier claim by Sowore that some of the mobile phones stolen during the incident had been electronically tracked to locations around the Ekiti State Government House in Ado-Ekiti.

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He had specifically alleged that one of the stolen phones was traced to the Governor’s Lodge, while other devices were located around the state capital.

The AAC presidential candidate had subsequently called on the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to release the CCTV recordings from Tawakalitu Restaurant, where he and members of his team were attacked.

He also accused the police and the DSS of remaining silent despite releasing videos purportedly showing individuals involved in the attack.

“Since we released the chilling videos exposing the faces of members of the armed gang that tried to kill us on October 30, the Ekiti State Governor, Commissioner of Police, and DSS have all suddenly gone silent!” Sowore stated.

He further alleged that key individuals linked to the attack had not been arrested, despite their alleged appearances at meetings relating to President Bola Tinubu’s forthcoming campaign activities in Ekiti State.

The October 30 incident occurred at Tawakalitu Restaurant in Ado-Ekiti, shortly after Sowore attended a radio interview at MIDAS FM 90.5.

Sowore and members of his entourage reportedly came under attack by a group of men, who allegedly assaulted members of his team and stole personal belongings, including mobile phones, wristwatches and shoes.

The activist described the incident as an assassination attempt, while the Ekiti State Police Command initially characterised it as an altercation involving Sowore and some individuals at the restaurant.

The police subsequently announced the arrest of 11 suspects in connection with the incident. Items reportedly recovered included 13 mobile phones, two walkie-talkies, seven ATM cards, eight international passports and other materials.

Sowore, however, has continued to demand the arrest of those he considers the masterminds behind the attack, insisting that the investigation should go beyond those already apprehended.

The controversy has also extended to the CCTV recordings from the restaurant. Sowore alleged that police officers and DSS operatives took possession of the surveillance equipment and that the recordings were subsequently erased before the equipment was returned.

He has called for the release of the footage and an independent investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Government had earlier denied any involvement in the attack, describing the allegations against it as unfounded and urging the police to conduct a thorough investigation and bring anyone found responsible to justice.

As of Tuesday, November 3, the governor had not publicly issued a specific response to Sowore’s latest allegation that he directed the RRS commander to hand over the recovered devices to him.

The allegations against Oyebanji and other individuals named by Sowore have not been independently established.

2027: ‘Oyebanji Seized Our Phones’ – Sowore Accuses Ekiti Gov of Withholding Recovered Devices

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has established a separate 168-member campaign council for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, distancing its state leadership from the campaign structure inaugurated by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The development has exposed fresh disagreements within the political arrangement supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition in Osun, following the controversy surrounding Adeleke’s appointment as the state coordinator of the President’s campaign.

The APC unveiled the new 168-member presidential and parliamentary campaign council on Monday, November 2, 2026, with the party’s governorship candidate in the August 2026 election, Bola Oyebamiji, appointed as Director-General.

Osun APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, was named Deputy Director-General, while Oyebamiji’s running mate, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu were appointed Assistant Director-Generals I and II, respectively.

The three APC senatorial candidates and nine House of Representatives candidates in the state were also included in the council.

Other prominent members include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Foluke Etteh; former deputy governors Iyiola Omisore, Titi Laoye-Ponnle, Adeleke Adewoyin and Adegboyega Alabi; retired General Alani Akinrinade; Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode; and APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi.

In a statement announcing the arrangement, Lawal said the council was carefully constituted to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and the party’s candidates contesting National Assembly and State Assembly elections in 2027.

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The decision comes less than two weeks after Adeleke inaugurated a separate 344-member campaign council in Osogbo on October 22 to coordinate support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Adeleke, who secured re-election as Osun governor on the platform of the Accord Party in August 2026, had been named Osun coordinator of Tinubu’s presidential campaign in the revised campaign council released by the APC national leadership.

However, his appointment generated discontent among some APC leaders in the state, particularly over the composition of the campaign committee and the extent of consultation with the party’s established leadership.

Several prominent APC figures, including former Osun governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Oyebamiji; and Lawal, were absent when Adeleke inaugurated the 344-member council.

Other party figures also stayed away from the event, although APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, former governor Bisi Akande and former deputy governor Iyiola Omisore attended.

Following the inauguration, Lawal complained that the Osun APC leadership was not adequately consulted before the committee was constituted and its membership announced.

He said the party only became aware of the arrangement after Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, published the list on social media less than 24 hours before the planned inauguration.

The APC chairman expressed concern that the manner in which the committee was constituted could create unnecessary disagreements between the party and the governor, despite their shared support for Tinubu’s re-election.

The emergence of the new 168-member council, with Oyebamiji and Lawal occupying its top positions, has now introduced a separate campaign structure within the state.

Another issue contributing to the disagreement is the scope of Adeleke’s political alliance with Tinubu.

During the October 22 inauguration, the governor reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Tinubu’s 2027 presidential ambition but made it clear that the arrangement would not extend to legislative elections.

Adeleke said he would campaign for candidates of his own party, Accord, in elections for the Senate, House of Representatives and Osun State House of Assembly.

He also denied entering into any agreement with the APC to share legislative or local government positions, insisting that the political understanding among the coalition partners was limited to the presidential election.

Meanwhile, Oyetola has expressed confidence that Tinubu could secure 1.5 million votes in Osun State in the 2027 presidential election, urging APC members to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and work towards the President’s re-election.

The emergence of competing campaign structures raises questions about how the APC and its political allies will coordinate their activities in Osun ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as the governor and the state party leadership maintain different arrangements for supporting the same presidential candidate.