2026: ‘APC Has No Competitor, Osun Poll Is A Penalty With No Goalkeeper’ – Oyebamiji
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, has declared that victory is certain for him and the APC, stating that he has no real challenger ahead of the August 8, 2026, governorship election.
Oyebamiji made the remarks on Sunday in Osogbo during an interactive session with party youths, organised by the office of the Osun APC Youth Leader.
He told the gathering that the forthcoming election was already tilted in favour of the APC and urged party members to intensify mobilisation across the state.
According to him, “an analysis of the 2022 governorship election showed that youths played a decisive role in the party’s performance at the polls.
“We studied the 2022 results and discovered that youths contributed about 210,000 votes out of the over 300,000 votes scored by APC.”
While revealing that the party was placing priority on youth engagement and programmes, Oyebamiji added that plans for youth focused initiatives would begin before the election.
“I have great respect for the youth population in this state. We have a lot in stock for them, and by the grace of God, there will be well-designed programmes for our youths,” he said.
Oyebamiji likened the election to a penalty kick taken against a team without a goalkeeper.
“In the coming election, God has given us a penalty, and they have a goalpost without a goalkeeper,” he said.
He also charged party youths to return to their wards and commence door-to-door mobilisation in support of the APC.
“I have no competitor. APC has no competitor. Go back to your wards and begin house-to-house campaigns,” Oyebamiji added.
The APC candidate further assured supporters of their safety during the campaign, saying the election would not be characterised by violence.
Earlier, the Osun APC Youth Leader, Goke Akinwemimo, called on party members to remain united after the primaries.
“We must remain united, focused, and resilient. Conflict is inevitable in politics, but how we manage it will determine our success,” Akinwemimo said.
However, reacting, through a counter statement, the Osun Accord Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, described the statement as evidence of overconfidence and detachment from political reality by the APC candidate.
The statement said the party reacted with “a mixture of amusement and disbelief” to the comment attributed to Oyebamiji.
According to the Accord, the comparison of the forthcoming election to a walkover was not confidence but a sign of illusion driven by godfather politics.
“Mr Oyebamiji must wake up from his godfather-induced hallucination and abandon the belief that power is inherited or donated,” the statement said.
The party further argued that the previous APC administration was voted out in 2022 due to public dissatisfaction, insisting that the electorate’s decision was deliberate and decisive.
Akande said no candidate, including an incumbent governor, should describe an election as a foregone conclusion and noted that such remarks insult the electorate.
He maintained that the 2026 governorship election would be determined by voters, not political structures or endorsements and stressed that Osun State was not a conquered territory.
“The 2026 election is not a penalty kick; it is a referendum. The electorate would play an active role,” he added.
The Accord party chairman urged voters to remain prepared for the election, declaring, “There will be a goalkeeper, millions of them.”
Osun State is scheduled to hold its next governorship election on August 8, 2026, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party expected to seek re-election alongside candidates of other parties.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
