The All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday, inaugurated its National Campaign Council for the Osun State governorship election, describing the poll as a major test of the party’s political strength and preparedness ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking at the inauguration of the council in Abuja, the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, said the party had assembled experienced political leaders and stakeholders from across the country to coordinate its campaign and secure victory for its governorship candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.
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Mr Yilwatda said the council comprised serving and former governors, members of the National Assembly, members of the Federal Executive Council, deputy governors, party leaders, business leaders and other political stakeholders.
He said the composition of the council reflected the depth of political experience and organisational capacity available to the ruling party.
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“If there is any political party in Nigeria that has human resources in abundance, it is the APC. If there is any political party that has the most experienced politicians in Nigeria, it is the APC,” Mr Yilwatda said.
He said the APC had the political structure and manpower to compete successfully at every level, from councillorship and local government elections to governorship and presidential contests.
Mr Yilwatda said the Osun election, which holds on 15 August, would serve as the APC’s final major electoral test before the 2027 general election.
He described the contest as an opportunity to measure the party’s preparedness and test the political machinery being developed for the next general election.
“This will be our litmus test. It will measure our level of preparedness for 2027. This will be our practice ground. It will be our rehearsal for the political machine we are preparing for 2027,” he said.
The APC chairman said winning Osun was a major priority for the party, adding that its governors, lawmakers, local government chairmen, councillors and other political leaders would be deployed for intensive grassroots mobilisation.
He said the campaign would focus on direct engagement with voters through person-to-person and house-to-house mobilisation across communities.
According to him, the mobilisation would extend across the state irrespective of ethnicity, language or place of origin.
Mr Yilwatda also assigned a prominent role to the party’s women’s wing, stressing that women would be central to the APC’s grassroots campaign and voter mobilisation strategy.
He expressed confidence that the calibre of political leaders appointed to the council would strengthen the party’s chances at the polls.
“The people standing here are men and women of great political strength who can withstand any political party in Osun State,” he said before formally inaugurating the council.
Uzodimma pledges issue-based campaign
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who chairs the campaign council, said its members accepted the assignment with humility and a determination to justify the confidence placed in them by the party leadership.
Mr Uzodimma described the responsibility as an obligation to the APC, to Nigeria’s democracy, and to the people of Osun State.
He said every party leader and stakeholder had a role to play in securing victory for the APC.
“This is a collective responsibility. Every member of this council, every leader, every member of our party and every progressive stakeholder has a vital role to play. There can be no spectator in a mission of this importance,” he said.
The governor said the APC would run an issue-based, evidence-driven and respectful campaign focused on engaging the people of Osun and presenting Mr Oyebamiji as a competent and people-centred leader.
He said the campaign would be anchored on the achievements of the APC-led federal government under President Bola Tinubu as well as the party’s record of governance across the country.
Mr Uzodimma described Mr Tinubu as a courageous leader whose Renewed Hope Agenda was laying the foundation for a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria.
He said the campaign council would engage workers, farmers, market women, artisans, professionals, young people, traditional and religious leaders and persons with disabilities across communities, local government areas, wards and polling units.
The governor said the APC would not be distracted by criticism from opposition parties, misinformation or social media campaigns.
He said the party would counter what it considered false claims with facts and focus on its record of performance.
“We will answer falsehood with facts. We will respond to insults with discipline, propaganda with performance and provocation with peace,” he said.
Mr Uzodimma also pledged that the APC would support a peaceful, free and credible election, stressing that no political ambition was worth the blood of any Nigerian.
“Our campaign will be vigorous without violence, competitive without bitterness and confident without arrogance. We shall conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Omoluabi ethos of Osun State,” he said.
Oyebamiji confident of victory
The APC governorship candidate, Mr Oyebamiji, welcomed the constitution of the campaign council, saying the calibre of leaders appointed had generated excitement among party members and supporters across Osun.
He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the APC National Working Committee for their support and commitment to the party’s campaign in the state.
Mr Oyebamiji said the APC had continued to take its message of prosperity, good governance and the Renewed Hope Agenda to communities across the state since his emergence as the party’s candidate.
He said the party had intensified its engagement with traditional rulers, private-sector operators, market men and women, students, artisans, professionals, religious leaders, women, and young people.
According to him, the APC was strengthening its presence across Osun’s three senatorial districts, nine federal constituencies, 26 state constituencies, 30 local government areas, 332 political wards and 3,762 polling units.
Mr Oyebamiji said the party had received strong support from women and young people, citing recent solidarity activities across several towns and cities in the state.
He expressed confidence that the APC was prepared to reclaim the governorship and return Osun to what he described as the progressive fold.
“The people of Osun State are ready. The Osun APC is ready. Our campaign is ready. Together, we will win. Together, we will rescue Osun. Together, we will build a prosperous and sustainable Osun State,” Mr Oyebamiji said.
He pledged to work closely with members of the campaign council and other party stakeholders to secure victory for the APC in the August governorship election.
Council composition
In a statement on Sunday, the APC said, apart from Mr Uzodimma, the Governor of Yobe State, Mala Buni, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, will serve as co-chairmen.
The party also announced that Ibrahim Masari, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Political and Other Matters, will serve as deputy chairman, while the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, will serve as secretary of the council.
The election
The election is scheduled for Saturday, 15 August and will be conducted separately from the 2027 general elections as an off-cycle governorship poll.
Osun is one of the states where governorship elections are held outside the regular nationwide electoral cycle because of the timing of previous elections and the constitutional tenure of governors.
Governor Ademola Adeleke was sworn in on 27 November 2022 after winning the 16 July 2022 governorship election, thereby delaying the next governorship contest to 2026 rather than holding it alongside the 2027 general elections.
The off-cycle nature of the election has given the contest wider political significance, particularly as it will be the last major governorship election before the 2027 general elections.
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