The governorship race in Osun State just got more interesting ahead of the 15 August election. Adesina Adeyemi-Doro, the candidate from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has pulled out of the race and is now backing Bola Oyebamiji from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Punch reported that Mr Adeyemi-Doro made this announcement on Saturday. He spoke during the ‘Osun Youth Interactive Session with Oyebamiji’ program organized by the APC Campaign Council in Osogbo.
Mr Adeyemi-Doro explained that he made this decision after talking with the leaders and members of his party across the state. He stated that they agreed to support Mr Oyebamiji’s candidacy, calling it a coming together of progressives.
“I am here today to declare publicly to the good people of Osun State our allegiance, support, and collaboration as we join His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, and the All Progressives Congress, APC,” Mr Adeyemi-Doro said.
He added, “I have been watching the candidates closely, and after wide consultations with my state chairman, secretary, and other senior members of the party, we have reached an alignment. At the end of the day, we are all progressives.”
He also mentioned that this alliance aims to support Mr Oyebamiji’s goal of becoming the next governor.
“We look forward to a situation where, by the special grace of God, we will deliver Osun State to our governor, Oyebamiji,” he said.
This move gives Mr Oyebamiji the backing of another political party just a week before voters head to the polls. The current governor, Ademola Adeleke, is also in the race.
Mr Oyebamiji welcomed the support and said his campaign will continue to seek backing from other candidates and political groups outside the APC.
“Thank you so much. I appreciate this, and I want to assure you that we will work together to rescue Osun State from the current bad government,” he said. “Your people will be taken care of.”
He also mentioned plans to reach out to other political parties to build a larger coalition before the election.
“I am glad about this development, and we will also reach out to other parties so that we can join hands together to build a greater Osun State,” he said.
Mr Adeyemi-Doro’s withdrawal, coming so close to the election, is not likely to change the list of candidates for the election day. The time for candidates to withdraw has officially closed, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to have printed the ballot papers with all the nominated candidates’ names.
Even though his withdrawal does not mean that APGA supporters will automatically vote for the APC, this endorsement gives Mr Oyebamiji a stronger political position and might widen his coalition ahead of Saturday’s election.
According to Mr Adeyemi-Doro, this decision came after internal discussions, not just a personal choice.
The event where he made his announcement was organized by the APC Campaign Council’s Directorate of Youth, Students and Civil Society. It allowed young people to ask Mr Oyebamiji about his plans for education, jobs, entrepreneurship, and community development.
The directorate’s chairman, Ayodele Asalu, said the aim was to let voters, including those not in the APC, assess the candidate’s ideas before they vote.
“They want to know what your administration proposes to do about education and employment,” Mr Asalu said.
“They want to understand the opportunities that will exist for entrepreneurs, artisans, and professionals. They want to know how communities will benefit from development and how young people will participate in making the decisions that affect them,” he added.
He encouraged participants to judge the candidates based on their plans and policies, not just party lines.
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