The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has constituted a 168-member Presidential and Parliamentary Campaign Council to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party named its 2026 governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as Director-General of the council, while the state APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, will serve as Deputy Director-General.

The development comes less than two weeks after Governor Ademola Adeleke inaugurated a separate 344-member council in Osun to coordinate President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the state.

In a statement signed by Mr Lawal and obtained in Osogbo, the party said the new council was established to strengthen its campaign machinery and ensure victory for President Tinubu as well as its National and State Assembly candidates.

Mr Lawal said the party had carefully selected leaders and members across the state to drive grassroots mobilisation and coordinate its campaign activities.

He said the APC was committed to working with members of the existing state presidential campaign council to achieve the party’s objectives.

Oyebamiji’s running mate in the 2026 governorship election, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu were named Assistant Director-General I and II respectively.

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

Prominent APC leaders named

Other members of the council include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Foluke Etteh; former Osun deputy governors Adeleke Adewoyin, Iyiola Omisore, Titi Laoye-Ponnle and Adegboyega Alabi.

Also listed are retired General Alani Akinrinade, Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, and the Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi.

The party said the structure would work towards securing an “all-round victory” for President Tinubu and its candidates in the 2027 elections.

Parallel council follows Osun controversy

The APC’s decision to constitute its own campaign council follows controversy over the separate council inaugurated by Governor Adeleke on October 22.

Mr Adeleke was appointed coordinator of Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Osun and subsequently inaugurated the 344-member council, which included several APC leaders and members of other political parties.

However, some prominent APC figures, including Oyebamiji, former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Mr Lawal, were absent from the inauguration.

The Osun APC had earlier complained that its leadership was not consulted before the composition of Adeleke’s council was announced.

At the inauguration, Governor Adeleke said the coalition was strictly for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and did not extend to the legislative elections, allowing participating parties to support their own candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.

The APC has now established its own campaign structure to mobilise support for Tinubu while also canvassing votes for its National and State Assembly candidates.