By John Umeh
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has settled on former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, as its governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election.
Oyebamiji was adopted on Saturday through a consensus process at the party’s primary held in Osogbo. The decision followed a joint motion proposed by two aspirants—Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Senator Babajide Omoworare—urging party delegates to affirm a single flagbearer.
Presiding over the exercise, the chairman of the APC governorship primary committee and Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, put the motion to a voice vote, which was unanimously endorsed by party members at the venue. He subsequently announced Oyebamiji as the party’s standard-bearer.
The primary was conducted at the Ebunoluwa Group of Schools in Osogbo and was attended by top APC figures, including Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa (co-chairman of the committee), Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, Lagos Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat (representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu), and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Ahead of the exercise, party leaders had signalled that the Osun primary would produce a candidate by affirmation, a position reinforced after 1,660 delegates were cleared for the process. Multiple aspirants were also reported to have withdrawn in favour of a consensus choice following consultations with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Speaking earlier on national television, former APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore confirmed his support for the consensus arrangement, stating that he accepted the party’s decision after guidance from the President. Omisore was among aspirants screened out by the party’s committee over alleged breaches of internal guidelines.
With the primary concluded, the APC now turns its focus to mobilising support ahead of the 2026 governorship contest in Osun State.
