Osun APC adds more members to campaign team, includes upset executives

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has added more members to its campaign council for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and the party’s candidates in the 2027 general elections. They also renamed the council to reflect these changes and included all members of the state executive committee.

The new 183-member team is now called the Osun State All Progressives Congress Parliamentary Campaign Council. This replaces the earlier council, which was the Osun APC Presidential and Parliamentary Campaign Council with 168 members.

This change comes after four members of the state party executive complained about not being included in the first list. They demanded an immediate review of who was in the council.

PUNCH Online had previously reported that the initial council of 168 members was set up to lead the campaign for Tinubu’s re-election and gather support for other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the council was created to improve the party’s chances in the elections. Bola Oyebamiji, the party’s candidate for the August 15 governorship election, was named Director-General. Lawal took the role of Deputy Director-General.

Oyebamiji’s running mate, Benjamin Adereti, and Kehinde Olamolu were appointed as Assistant Directors-General 1 and 2. The council also included the party’s three senatorial candidates and nine House of Representatives candidates.

However, the first list led to protests from four state executives. They are the Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola; Welfare Officer, Adesola Ayangbile; Assistant Organising Secretary, Rasheed Adeniji; and ex-officio member, Abiola Ololade.

In a statement released in Osogbo on Tuesday, the four executives said many members of the State Working Committee were left out. They were expected to be part of the campaign council according to the party’s rules.

They also criticized the list, saying it did not match an earlier presidential directive that reportedly named Governor Ademola Adeleke as the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council in the state.

In the new expanded council, Oyebamiji kept his role as Director-General, and Lawal remained Deputy Director-General. Other notable members now include former governor Adebisi Akande, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru.

Lawal explained in a statement that the expansion aimed to boost the party’s efforts before the 2027 elections. He said, “Following the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council by the national leader of our party and its presidential candidate, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on October 14, 2026 in Abuja, and the subsequent inauguration of the Osun State PCC by the Executive Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, on October 22, 2026, we consider it extremely important to therefore bolster the efforts of the PCC to deliver massive votes for the re-election of our President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the forthcoming general elections.

“As a party, we are resolute to work in unison with every member of the State Presidential Campaign Council to deliver on our mandate as we muster concerted efforts to ensure victory for all the National and State Assembly candidates of our great party.”