Osun APC Says It Was Not Consulted Before Tinubu Campaign Council Inauguration

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it was not consulted before the announcement of a 344-member campaign council for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, raising concerns over the process ahead of the council’s scheduled inauguration.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Osun APC chairman Tajudeen Lawal said the party’s state leadership had not been briefed before the list was made public. He stressed that although the party supported Tinubu’s re-election, the process should follow appropriate consultation and official procedures.

The controversy followed an announcement by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, that the governor would inaugurate the 344-member State Presidential Campaign Committee. The list reportedly includes former Osun Governor Adebisi Akande, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru and the party’s governorship candidate in the 2026 election, Bola Oyebamiji.

Other names on the list include former Speaker of the House of Representatives Foluke Etteh and former senators Iyiola Omisore, Jide Omoworare and Sola Adeyeye. The committee is also reported to include political figures associated with the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord, alongside former lawmakers and local government officials.

The inclusion of opposition figures reportedly prompted questions about how the committee was assembled and whether consultations had taken place among the political groups. An unnamed APC source told Punch that the party’s state leadership had not held a formal meeting with Adeleke’s camp to determine how the presidential campaign would be managed in Osun.

Lawal acknowledged the importance of the re-election campaign and said the APC had accepted Adeleke’s appointment as state coordinator. He argued that cooperation among political parties and their members could support the President’s re-election effort, but maintained that the arrangements should have been properly scheduled.

The APC chairman criticised the short notice given before the proposed inauguration, saying the party had learned about the committee through the list circulated on social media. He argued that announcing the membership less than 24 hours before the event, without prior consultation with the state party leadership, risked creating avoidable tension.

Lawal also alleged that the arrangement could cause misunderstanding between the Osun APC and the appointed campaign coordinator. However, he said the party was not opposed to making concessions in support of Tinubu’s re-election, insisting that the process should be handled through appropriate official channels.

The dispute highlights questions about coordination between political groups backing Tinubu in Osun ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The report did not establish whether the inauguration proceeded as scheduled or whether subsequent discussions resolved the disagreement.