The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, visited Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Sunday. They discussed plans for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Osun for the 2027 presidential election.
Mr Basiru, who used to be the senator for Osun Central, was a strong critic of Mr Adeleke during the campaigns for the governorship election on August 15, which Adeleke won.
This visit marked their first known interaction since the tough competition between their parties leading to the election. The meeting happened two weeks after an election that saw violence and strong disagreements.
It also took place a day after Bola Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate, accepted his defeat in the election.
After visiting Mr Adeleke at the Government House in Osogbo, Mr Basiru said the governor, who has promised to support Mr Tinubu for a second term, is ready to campaign for the president ahead of the January 16 presidential election.
He mentioned that working together with Mr Adeleke’s Accord Party could help the president secure about 1.5 million votes in Osun.
"I am also here to thank him for endorsing my leader and our presidential candidate and to assure him that we are ready to work together to ensure that we deliver Osun massively for President Bola Tinubu," Mr Basiru said.
"The governor, during our closed-door meeting, has also said that not only is he endorsing the president, but he will also be on the field to campaign vigorously for President Bola Tinubu for the January 16th presidential election."
APC and Accord Join Forces for 1.5 Million Votes
Mr Basiru noted that the APC’s loss in the governorship election does not mean they performed poorly, as they got 46 percent of the votes. He believes that joining forces with the Accord Party could raise the total votes for Mr Tinubu in the presidential election.
"You can even see from the last contest; my party performed creditably well in that election, scoring 46% of the votes. Between the Accord and the APC, we have close to one million votes, and with the presidential election, I think we should be looking, if we worked together, at about 1.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu," he said.
Mr Basiru urged APC members in Osun to unite and collaborate with other political groups to win for Mr Tinubu.
"We must close ranks and work together, work together to ensure victory for President Bola Tinubu in the January 16th election," he said.
This news comes two weeks after Mr Adeleke won re-election in the August 15 governorship election, defeating Bola Oyebamiji from the APC. His victory happened even though the APC made efforts to take back the state, which President Tinubu called important for his government and the South-West region.
Osun has a large voting population, making it a key area in any presidential election. The strength of the voters in the state, combined with the votes from Accord and APC in the recent governorship election, is important for the APC’s plan to form a political alliance that can deliver many votes for Mr Tinubu.
Mr Basiru added that the results of the recent governorship election should not split Osun residents by party. He called on political leaders to focus on peace and growth.
He also asked members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to settle their leadership issues peacefully, noting that post-election violence in the state had calmed down.
"On the post-election violence, I think the violence has subsided, but we must sustain the peace," he said.
"Election has come and gone; all of us belong to this place; we must work to ensure that we have meaningful infrastructure and a good living for the people of Osun."
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇