Opinion
The measured rise of a statesman: Why AMBO must lead Osun in 2026
In times of transition, the fate of nations or states, rests not in slogans but in the steady hands of men who combine wisdom, will, and unwearying integrity.
So it is in Osun State, as the 2026 governorship race gradually emerges from the fog of speculation into the terrain of substance and scrutiny. Amid a crowded field of aspirants, one name is steadily gaining clarity, resonance, and gravity: Asíwájú Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, fondly known across political, professional, and grassroots circles as AMBO. His is not a name born yesterday on billboards or conjured for seasonal campaigns; it is one rooted in public service, cultivated through technocratic rigour, and refined in the crucible of accountability.
At 59, AMBO is no stranger to governance, nor is he an accidental politician looking for validation. Born in Ikire, in the storied heartland of Osun West, his life trajectory reads like a manual in disciplined growth, from the studious halls of academia where he earned dual master’s degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration to the upper echelons of Nigeria’s banking industry, where he garnered a reputation as a calm strategist and a problem-solver with uncommon fiscal prudence. But it was his foray into public service, particularly his tenure as Commissioner for Finance under the administrations of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, that cemented his status as an administrator par excellence.
Oyebamiji’s record sparkles with something rare and that is clean hands. He left office, not under the cloud of an EFCC invitation or a scandalous headline, but with his dignity intact and his reputation burnished. Years after vacating the position, there remains no whisper of impropriety, no audit trail suggesting excess or indulgence. That in itself is a revolutionary credential in Nigeria’s political theatre, where fiscal officers are more often remembered for the questions they couldn’t answer than the legacies they left behind.
Yet, AMBO is far more than a paragon of prudence. He is a consummate manager of men and material, whose current role as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has seen him spearhead transformative initiatives in an agency long dormant in public consciousness. Under his stewardship, NIWA has evolved from a bureaucratic relic into a growing fulcrum of alternative transportation development, economic interconnectivity, and regional commerce. This success is not coincidental; it is emblematic of a leadership style that prizes efficiency over fanfare, delivery over drama.
There is, undeniably, a growing wave. From the mosques and markets of Irewole to the boulevards of Osogbo, from the retired civil servant in Ede to the youth entrepreneur in Iwo, voices are beginning to coalesce in support of his candidacy, not out of political convenience but out of collective memory. They remember his tenure, his decency, his accessibility. They know this is a man who does not shout to be heard, who does not flatter to deceive, and who does not promise what he cannot fund. He understands the delicate art of public finance, the moral weight of leadership, and the human impact of policy.
Indeed, in a state like Osun that is bountifully rich in heritage, abundant in human capital, yet weighed down by structural challenges, the next leader cannot afford to be an apprentice. The state requires someone with vision, depth, fiscal literacy, and an incorruptible spine. Someone who speaks the language of the elite and understands the yearnings of the downtrodden. Someone who can negotiate both international investment deals and local trust. AMBO is that man. Not a politician in search of a portfolio, but a steward with a purpose.
It is also not lost on political analysts and cultural custodians alike that the senatorial district from which Oyebamiji hails, Osun West, has long been underrepresented in the governance matrix of the state. His emergence is therefore not just symbolic; it is strategic. It promises a renewal of regional balance without sacrificing competence. It offers a unity candidacy, a bridge between past and future, between East and West, between legacy and aspiration.
As the APC contemplates its flagbearer for 2026, the stakes are far too high for experimentation. The state cannot afford another detour or delay. In AMBO, the party has not only a viable candidate but a statesman-in-waiting, a technocrat with political empathy, a visionary with his feet on the ground.
Thus, as campaign season draws near, and the drums of ambition grow louder, let the discerning minds remember that popularity is not the same as preparedness. Let Osun choose not just a man who wants to rule, but one who knows how to lead. Let the people follow a name they can trust, a record they can verify, and a vision they can share.
Asíwájú Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji is not just contesting. He is answering a call. A call to serve, to heal, and to rebuild.
Written by Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye
