2026: Give Us A Better Candidate, We Don’t Want Oyetola, APC Group Tells Tinubu

• Says Fielding Oyetola Will Put Osun APC In Jeopardy
• Suggests Basiru, Badmus As Better Options
• Badmus Denounces Group, Restates Loyalty To Oyetola

Some members of the IleriOluwa caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State have concluded plans to reject the candidacy of former governor now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, if he decides to contest the 2026 governorship election in the state.

According to the members of the group named ‘Otoge,’ Mr. Oyetola who is currently said to be testing the waters ahead of the next election will further jeopardise the chances of the party to return to power in the state.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered from a trending report that rising from its first meeting in Osogbo on Wednesday night, chieftains of the IleriOluwa bloc stated that the Minister’s ambition will further put the party in jeopardy, promising to report him to President Bola Tinubu.

They also recommended the selection of either the National Secretary of the APC, Dr. Ajibola Basiru or the Executive Director, Marine and Operations of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Engr. Lekan Badmus as candidates ahead of the 2026 contest. Both Basiru and Badmus are from Osogbo, the state capital, which has not produced a Governor since the inception of the state over three decades ago.

Findings revealed that those in attendance are not in any way associated with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, suggesting that the ‘Otoge’ group broke away from IleriOluwa, the umbrella group of Oyetola’s loyalists.

OSUN DEFENDER had last Friday reported how the camp of the Marine Minister is sharply getting to a division, with former council chairmen during the time of the former governor’s administration had disagreed over the choice of Oyetola as the party’s automatic flag bearer for the next election, with the dissenting voices stressing the need for a credible candidate that will swing votes for the APC.

One of the leaders of the ‘Otoge’ group was quoted to have said that, “We are reporting him directly to the Presidency. We are taking the matter to the First Lady, to the Chief of Staff, to Seyi Tinubu and Iyaloja General.

“We are calling for urgent intervention before the minister destroys the party further in Osun. We have told him to allow new faces to run for governorship but he is refusing. We told him severally that Adeleke is too popular and that the party cannot love an inch with an Oyetola as a candidate but he is adamant.

“Our proposal is to have Ajibola Bashiru. He went and threatened the National Secretary. Many loyalists of Bashiru are now up in arms against the minister.

“ Lately, we told him to let us use Engr Badmus as a candidate, at least that is a man from his camp. We even think he will respect Chief Tunde Badmus. Again, he refused.

“Worst of all, the man has not mend fences with anybody. The PDP group he was hoping to align with are now reconciling. Oyinlola and others have said No, they are staying with Ademola. This man should allow the APC in Osun to move on”, the party chief noted.

Another party chieftain who also attended the meeting stressed that Oyetola’s candidacy will be the second greatest mistake the party will make, pointing out that all factors that made the party to fail in 2022 are still present in stronger terms.

“ Our party is weaker than the 2022 case. The level of disenchantment within the party is very high. The source is Oyetola himself. He is too selfish and his wife’s influence on him is too high.The man cares only about himself and his family.

“ Our leaders at the Presidency are aware of all these. That is why we form Otoge as a group. We will resist Oyetola. We want either Bashiru or Badmus as governorship candidates, not Oyetola. We are writing the Presidency officially”, the politician noted.

Badmus Denounces Group, Restates Loyalty To Oyetola

Reacting, one of the preferred ‘choices’ of the ‘Otoge’ group, Engr. Lekan Badmus denounced the group.

The Executive Director, Marine and Operations of the Nigerian Ports Authority restated his loyalty to the Minister, stressing that the development is from mischief makers.

Badmus stated that, “It has come to my attention that a fictitious and faceless group has called on our Grande Leader, His Excellency President Bola Tinubu on their preference of my candidacy for the position of Governor in Osun State in 2026.

“I wish to state unequivocally that such tactics by mischief makers is not only cheap but myopic, bearing in mind that in Osun today, there is only one leader, who happens to be my principal, mentor and benefactor, in person of His Excellency Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola.

“If at any point in time the party wishes to select a flag bearer, there are process to follow and never in my style would I encourage any form of disloyalty to the party and our leaders.

“I once again want to dissociate myself from the said group, its organ and activities as they are not only unrecognized by our party, All Progressives Congress, but has also embarked on a wild goose chase to soil my name and reputation.

“I must emphasize at this point that I am more committed to the success of my party and that of my Principal, His Excellency Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

“Let me be on record that the tissues of lies are a product of mischief, packaged by mischief makers playing politics of incendiary. I am a mentee to His Excellency Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola and that status still remains,” Badmus noted.