Seven prominent aspirants in Osun’s All Progressives Congress (APC) have withdrawn from the governorship race after aligning behind Bola Oyebamiji as the party intensifies efforts to consolidate internal unity before primary.
The decision followed a crucial meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu, aimed at resolving lingering tensions within the party ahead of the primary election.
During the closed-door session, the aspirants pledged to support Oyebamiji, citing the importance of party cohesion and the need to strengthen APC’s position in Osun State ahead of the 2026 elections.
The meeting took place on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with the president personally engaging the aspirants to ensure consensus and smooth conduct of the forthcoming primary.
Notably, former National Secretary of the APC, Iyiola Omisore, was absent, having earlier described his reported disqualification from the race as “a joke.”
Those who officially stepped aside include former Osun Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi; Dotun Babayemi; Akin Ogunbiyi; Senator Babajide Omoworare; Kunle Adegoke (SAN); Babatunde Oralusi and Mulikat Jimoh.
The Osun APC is now expected to formalize Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus candidate in the party’s primary, with the leadership urging members across the state to rally behind him and ensure a unified effort in the run-up to the 2026 governorship election.
