Osun 2026: Group Charges APC To Consider Aspirant With Unquestionable Character As Party’s Flagbearer

By Michael Ojo, Osogbo

An emerging socio- political group, Osun Protectorate (OP), has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress APC in Osun State, to ensure a candidate with clean and unquestionable character is presented to bear the party’s flag in the 2026 gubernatorial election in the state.

A statement signed by the president of the group, Hon. Wale Adetunji , and made available to newsmen Monday reads: The All Progressives Congress (APC) is a formidable party blessed with human resources with track records.

“This possession of human materials is an added advantage that must be converted in the next year’s Osun State Governorship election. APC chance at the guber poll is bright. The party has successfully won the hearts of Osun people.

“The demeaning educational qualifications and leadership failure of the incumbent Governor of Osun State has opened wider doors for victory for the APC. The onus is on the APC party leadership to present a worthy and resourceful candidate with Unquestionable past.

“Repeating the mistakes of the past will be a huge and unforgivable mistake. APC has prepared the ground for victory depending on their candidate of choice. The electorates are wiser and more exposed today. They dig more about the respective candidate’s past weakness and strength. Politicians with unforgivable sin will be punished by the electorates with votes.

“In Osun, many of those who worked with Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola are seen as politically barefaced most especially due to half salary forced on Osun Government workers. The aggression of the half salary is hot. It was transferred to the successive administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

“One of the Governorship contestants, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) was a key player as Commissioner For Finance during the regime of Aregbesola. The Osun pensioners are still raining curses. One thing is sure, they will never vote for any candidate that worked with the Former Governor Aregbesola of Osun State. Aside the workers, the pensioners are angry for their unpaid pension and gratuities.

“AMBO has offended workers in the state. Many don’t see him as a sellable candidate. Many will not forget in haste the role he played as Managing Director, Osun State Living Spring Mortgage Finance. His immediate portfolio as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland and Waterways Authority (NIWA) was greeted with a series of protests by market women and some stakeholders of Lokoja, his office headquarters.

“As a socio- political group, we call on the national and the state screening committee to extend the winning chances of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming Gubernatorial election in Osun State by ensuring a candidate with clean and Unquestionable past is picked to bear the party’s flag.

Reacting, Spokesperson of AMBO Movement
Adebayo Adedeji described the group as a faceless allegedly being used by the ruling party to distract APC ahead of the primary election.

The group while refuting the issues being raised by Osun Protectorate said former NIWA Boss, Bola Oyebamiji has a track records, saying only the blind will not see or know about the achievements that AMBO has made both in the private and public sectors which have earned him more tasking responsibilities from his days at OSICOL, as finance commissioner, to his last appointment by President Bola Tinubu.

“The group is faceless and they are only being used by the ruling party to distract and destabilise our great party, APC, ahead of primary election and 2026 election which we are confident that Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji(AMBO) will emerge victorious.

“On the issues raised, only the blind will not see or know about the achievements that AMBO has made both in the private and public sectors which have earned him more tasking responsibilities from his days at OSICOL, as finance commissioner, to his last appointment by President Bola Tinubu.

“He raised the capital of OSICOL from N300million to N3billion, when he was appointed as the Finance Commissioner, he stopped the half salary syndrome under Rauf Aregbesola. Recall the half-salary regime started in June 2015, almost two years before AMBO became a Commissioner. and under Adegboyega. Just within few months he became the commissioner, he led a finance team that stopped the half-salary. He used his ingenuity and creativity to acquire several properties for the state including oil and gas businesses which are fetching billions of naira for the state in terms of IGR .

“All these he has done made the president to appoint him as the NIWA boss. So the group that is a band of puppets and lapdogs of the destabilised and hopeless ruling party is blind to see little we have mentioned and more he has done. It is so sad.

“For the group that claimed membership of APC, their stance is casting doubt on the President of the country and the ace leader of the party. I urge them to stop masquerading themselves as APC member but put off their masquerade so that the world will know where they belong. AMBO is a popular candidate who is hoping on God, the leadership and members of the APC, and ultimately, on the support of the entire Osun people to become the next governor of the state to chart a solid and impactful path of financial prosperity for our dear state.”