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

APC

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.