Osun gov election: APC West youth leaders differ over zoning arrangement

Osun APC Chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Olaniyi

As the race to the 2026 governorship election in Osun State draws near, youth leaders in Osun West Senatorial District of All Progressives Congress (APC) have differed over the zoning of the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the said election.

The APC youth leaders in the district had held a meeting in Iwo, Osun State, where they signed a communique, calling for the zoning of the party’s guber ticket to the west.

However, youth leaders from Olaoluwa, Isokan, Ede North, Ede South and Ayedire Local Government on Saturday, distanced themselves from the said meeting and communique.

A youth leader from Isokan Local Government, Raji Rafiu, urged President Bola Tinubu and the party’s leadership to field the best candidate rather than zoning the ticket to a district.

“I was not at home in Iwo, but my name and signature still appeared in the communique. All we need in the APC is the best candidate not the zoning to the west.

“I urge President Bola Tinubu, Baba Bisi Akande, and H.E Adegboyega Oyetola to ensure that the party fields the best candidate”.

Similarly, another youth leader, Idris Aderigbigbe, said: “We were called for a meeting, the most important thing is that many youth leaders didn’t come, but a document was prepared where their names were written and signed for.

“Even most of us were not aware of the purpose of the meeting, we were only instructed to come for a meeting and those that were able to go went there while those who were not opportuned stayed back.

“All of a sudden, we started seeing that we all signed. But we didn’t sign. Most of us were not even aware of what happened, but we still saw our names and signatures”.

Reacting, Osun West Senatorial Youth Leader, Imran Mojeed, said, “We didn’t agitate for a particular candidate from the West Senatorial District. Rather, we made it known to the president that we have capable hands in the district.

“We only laid credence to the position of our senatorial leaders who had pleaded that the ticket should be zoned to our district.

“We never forged anyone’s signature in the said advertorial. The meeting which we held to agree on zoning, we carried the APC Senator, Hon. Gbenga Omolaoye along before we convened it.

“During the meeting, we made video recordings as evidences, so they shouldn’t over flog the issue because what we did was evidence based.

“We are not afraid of any democratic process for APC primaries, we only feel it necessary for the youths to lend there voices to the demand that we want the governorship ticket to come from Osun West for justice to be served in the progressive family.

“Those that alleged that we forged their signature can go to court. Before they attended the meeting, they knew what it was all about”, he argued.