Osun 2026: Oyinlola Leads PDP Heavyweights to Endorse APC’s Oyebamiji

Osun 2026: Oyinlola Leads PDP Heavyweights to Endorse APC’s Oyebamiji

Former Governor leads high-profile endorsement of APC candidate while insisting faction remains in PDP as Osun West candidates battle for votes

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State led by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has formally declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, ahead of Saturday’s August 15 governorship election. The endorsement, announced on Sunday at the WOCDIF Event Centre in Osogbo, represents a major political realignment that could significantly impact the poll. Oyinlola was joined by prominent PDP stalwarts including former Secretary to the State Government Fatai Akinbade, former PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Tajudeen Oladipo, former Deputy Governor Mrs Titi Laoye Ponle, and former Minister of Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan. The event also attracted senior APC figures, including Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, former PDP Board of Trustees member Pa Shuaib Oyedokun, and OAU Governing Council Chairman Hon. Adejare Bello.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Oyinlola stressed that their decision was not a defection from the PDP but a matter of conscience driven by the larger interest of Osun State. “Let me repeat that our decision today should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the PDP. We remain PDP members. We are not here to announce our defection from the PDP. Rather, we are exercising our conscience as stakeholders who have served this state and who believe that, at this particular moment, Osun State requires a different direction,” Oyinlola stated. Oyinlola traced the group’s grievances to their efforts in bringing the current administration to power, lamenting that the initial vision had been undermined by what he described as lack of inclusiveness in governance. “We were among the major stakeholders who worked tirelessly towards the emergence of the present administration under the platform of the PDP. We believed in that project. We supported it. We mobilised our people for it. We invested our time, energy and political capital in it because we believed that it represented the aspirations of our people. But unfortunately, along the line, things began to fall apart,” Oyinlola said.

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The former governor emphasized that sustainable governance requires carrying all stakeholders along. “One of the major issues that have created this unfortunate situation, in our considered view, is the lack of inclusiveness in the governance of our state. We believe strongly that no party or government can succeed sustainably when it does not carry its people and leaders along. The PDP has always been a party built around consultation, participation and collective responsibility. These are values that we must continue to uphold,” he added. Oyinlola also made a philosophical appeal, urging members to prioritise the state over party loyalty. “Politics is temporary, but Osun State is permanent. Political parties may change, political alliances may change, administrations may come and go, but the people of Osun will remain. Our responsibility as leaders is therefore to make decisions that will protect the future of our people,” he declared.

The group’s endorsement of Oyebamiji came with conditions. Oyinlola urged the APC candidate to focus on good governance, economic development, infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment, and inclusive government where every part of Osun feels represented. “You must put the people first and run an inclusive government. You must listen to the people. You must ensure that every part of Osun feels represented in your government,” Oyinlola charged. Responding to the endorsement, Oyebamiji promised to establish an inclusive administration that would accommodate diverse stakeholders across the state. “Those seated here are Osun’s stakeholders. There is no way one will abandon your wisdom and experiences if he wants to succeed as governor. I am assuring you that we will not abandon anyone in the running of the state. We won’t restrict governance to just a family or a community,” Oyebamiji said. He also dismissed rigging allegations, stating that “whoever is raising rigging allegations is expressing fear of defeat that is staring them in the face.”

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, welcomed the endorsement, describing Oyinlola as a grassroots politician and national figure whose political antecedents could not be underestimated. Oyetola urged residents to remain peaceful and resolute ahead of the election. In their separate remarks, Akinbade and Oladipo called on all members of the PDP in the state to cast their votes overwhelmingly for Oyebamiji. The duo attributed their decision to pitch their tent with the APC as the best at the moment, not for selfish interest but for the good of the state and her citizens.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Oyebamiji Campaign Council, Hon. Wole Oke, publicly apologized to the PDP leaders for defying their instructions to support Governor Ademola Adeleke during the 2022 election cycle. Oke, a former PDP member, urged members of the PDP faction to take the campaign to their wards and polling units and mobilize support for Oyebamiji. It is worth noting that Governor Ademola Adeleke is no longer contesting on the PDP platform. Following his defection from the PDP, the incumbent governor is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party, fundamentally altering the state’s political calculations. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 14 candidates for the election, with neither the PDP nor the Labour Party fielding a candidate. The contest has emerged as a fiercely contested three-way race involving Adeleke, APC’s Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) flag bearer, Najeem Salaam—all of whom hail from the Osun West Senatorial District.

Efforts to reach the Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, for a reaction to the development were unsuccessful as calls did not go through and he had not responded to messages as of filing time.

Osun 2026: Oyinlola Leads PDP Heavyweights to Endorse APC’s Oyebamiji