Oyebamiji clinches Osun APC ticket as party adopts consensus

The immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, on Saturday emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election, following the party’s adoption of a consensus arrangement.

Oyebamiji’s emergence was sealed at the party’s governorship primary held in Osogbo after two leading aspirants, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Senator Babajide Omoworare, formally moved a motion endorsing him as the consensus flagbearer.

The motion was subjected to a voice vote by the chairman of the APC governorship primary committee and Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, and was overwhelmingly affirmed by party delegates at the venue, located within the premises of Ebunoluwa Group of Schools, Osogbo.

Declaring the outcome, Okpebholo said: “By the power conferred on me, I present to you Bola Oyebamiji as the governorship candidate of our party.”

Earlier, Okpebholo had noted on arrival at the venue that the primary would be concluded by affirmation. He arrived alongside the committee’s co-chairman, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, and other members, including Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, who represented the Lagos State governor, and former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.

The primary followed the emergence earlier in the week of 1,660 accredited delegates expected to participate in the exercise ahead of the party’s December 13 governorship primary.

There were also strong indications that the party had resolved to rally behind a single candidate after a late-night meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the seven APC governorship aspirants at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.

A former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, confirmed the development during a TVC News programme, Politics Tonight, where he publicly endorsed the consensus arrangement for the Osun governorship race.

Omisore, who was among the seven aspirants earlier disqualified by the APC Screening Committee over alleged breaches of party guidelines and electoral provisions, said he accepted the decision in deference to the guidance of President Tinubu and in the interest of party unity.