Osun APC Faction Points Fingers at Oyetola for Poll Loss, Petitions Tinubu

A distinct faction within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has attributed the party's defeat in the August 15, 2026 governorship election to Gboyega Oyetola, the immediate past governor of the state and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. This group, known as the Osun APC Stakeholders Forum, formally presented these allegations in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, dated August 18, just three days after the election.

In their correspondence, titled “Why We Lost the Osun State August 15, 2026 Gubernatorial Election,” the forum identified itself as a pressure group dedicated to advancing the APC's interests. While commending President Tinubu for his leadership and commitment to the party before and after the election, the group lamented that the party's defeat occurred despite the President's backing.

The forum primarily laid the blame for the electoral loss at Oyetola's feet. They alleged that the former governor disproportionately allocated federal appointments to his close allies, associates, and kinsmen, thereby marginalizing other significant tendencies within the Osun APC. The group explicitly stated, “We respectfully submit that the principal reason for our defeat was the conduct of the immediate past governor of the state and Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.”

Further accusations included Oyetola's alleged appointment of “cronies, allies and kinsmen to federal political positions and single-handedly selected all candidates for elective office in the state,” even though party elders had advised him to be more inclusive of other stakeholders.

The forum provided a list of federal appointees, asserting that many were predominantly from Oyetola's hometown and political circle. Those named included Oyetola himself; Bola Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate and Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority; his running mate, Benjamin Adereti; and Dayo Babaranti, identified as Executive Director of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation. Additional individuals listed were Fatai Adeyemi, Adeniran Aderogba, Lekan Badmus, Charles Akindiji, Ayo Omidiran, Nike Omoworare, Dayo Eluyemi, Segun Fanibe, Rotimi Makinde, Remi Omowaiye, Kayode Sowade, Taiwo Olaiya, Amidu Tadese, Oladele Gboyega, Festus Olowogboyega, Obawale Adebisi, Taiwo Oluga, Bosun Oyintiloye, and Sunday Akere.

The letter also highlighted the appointment of 31 local government and 332 ward Renewed Hope Ambassadors, categorizing these as further examples of appointments concentrated within a singular political leaning.

Beyond federal positions, the stakeholders accused Oyetola of personally dictating the APC’s candidates for various elective posts. According to the document, this included the governorship and deputy governorship candidates, three senatorial candidates, nine House of Representatives candidates, and twenty-six House of Assembly candidates.

The forum contended that this alleged pattern of exclusion alienated the party’s grassroots base, leading to a loss of crucial support from key stakeholders and communities across all three senatorial districts of Osun State. The letter explicitly stated, “We believe this pattern of exclusion left the party’s base disengaged and cost us the support of critical stakeholders and communities across the state’s three senatorial districts, contributing directly to our defeat on August 15.”

Consequently, the stakeholders appealed to President Tinubu to mandate an immediate independent review of the Osun APC’s leadership structure and its candidate-selection processes. They also called for a reconciliation meeting, to be supervised by the APC National Working Committee, involving Oyetola, party elders, and aggrieved stakeholders.

The group further requested the re-establishment of fairness in the distribution of federal appointments meant for Osun State and the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the conduct of the party’s primaries and address complaints previously raised by party elders.

Under a section titled “A Way Forward,” the forum proposed several solutions: a state congress overseen by the APC National Working Committee to constitute a truly representative state executive; a stakeholders’ reconciliation summit encompassing various factions, elders, and interest groups; and the implementation of a transparent framework for future candidate selection that prioritizes broader consultation over the preferences of a single leader.

Additionally, the forum advocated for federal appointments and future candidacies to be distributed equitably across Osun’s senatorial districts and among competing interests, rather than being confined to one political camp. The group expressed optimism that President Tinubu’s intervention could successfully reunite the Osun APC and restore confidence among its members in preparation for upcoming elections.

The open letter was officially signed by Professor Akin Adeyanju as Coordinator and Honourable Sola Ajayi as Secretary. It is important to note that these allegations are those made by the Osun APC Stakeholders Forum, and the provided document does not include a response from Oyetola or the Osun APC leadership.