By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s reported call for visa restrictions and economic sanctions against APC leaders as unfounded and indicative of political anxiety ahead of the poll.
Oyebamiji made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving a British delegation in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
He dismissed allegations that APC leaders were promoting political violence, describing the claims as baseless and “the joke of the century.”
According to him, if any political party had grounds to raise concerns about political violence, it would be the APC, citing the deaths of several party members before and after previous elections in the state.
“Permit me to address recent media reports alleging that foreign missions, including the British High Commission, were urged to deny entry visas to members of our party. I regard such reports as entirely unfounded and, frankly, the joke of the century,” Oyebamiji said.
“If any political party had reason to make such a request, it would more logically have been the APC.
“You will recall that prior to the current administration taking office, many of our members were killed during the 2022 governorship election period. Incidents recorded in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire, Ede and several other communities were duly reported to the Nigeria Police Force.”
He said the APC, despite being the ruling party at the time, did not politicise the incidents but instead cooperated with security agencies and allowed investigations to proceed.
According to him, several of the cases are currently before the courts.
Oyebamiji also alleged that APC members had continued to suffer attacks over the past two years, citing the killing of the Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Hon. Remi Abbas, within the premises of the local government secretariat.
“That unfortunate incident is only one among several others that have been documented. Our approach has remained consistent. We believe in allowing law enforcement agencies to investigate such matters professionally rather than attempting to mislead the public or the international community with unsubstantiated allegations,” he said.
The APC candidate commended the Inspector-General of Police and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force for what he described as professionalism in handling security issues in the state.
He pledged the party’s continued support for security agencies in maintaining peace before, during and after the election.
On the conduct of the poll, Oyebamiji expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the commission had the capacity to deliver a credible and peaceful election on August 15, 2026.
“As a political party, we have confidence in the ability of INEC to conduct a credible, free, fair and peaceful governorship election. Our appeal is for the commission to continue to provide a level playing field for all political parties so that the electorate can freely determine the outcome of the election,” he said.
Oyebamiji also acknowledged the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, describing it as beneficial in the areas of democracy, governance, education, security, trade and development.
He urged the British government to sustain its support for democratic development and governance in Nigeria.
Earlier, the British delegation, led by Senior Political Adviser Mr Wale Adebajo, said the visit was part of ongoing engagements aimed at promoting peace and strengthening democratic processes ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.