Osun APC Stakeholders Blame Oyetola for Party’s Defeat in Governorship Election

The Osun APC Stakeholders Forum has accused the previous governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of being responsible for the party's loss in the gubernatorial election held on August 15, 2026. The group, which considers itself a pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) dedicated to the party's interests, expressed disappointment over the defeat despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's support.

The forum's open letter, signed by Professor Akin Adeyanju and Honourable Sola Ajayi, stated that Oyetola's appointments of cronies and allies to federal positions, as well as his unilateral selection of candidates, disregarded the advice of party elders. The group listed 26 federal appointees whom they claimed were influenced by Oyetola's decisions.

The stakeholders accused Oyetola of single-handedly selecting the governorship candidate, deputy governorship candidate, and various other candidates, leaving the party's base disengaged and costing them support from critical stakeholders and communities across the state's senatorial districts. The forum called for an independent review of the Osun State chapter's leadership and candidate-selection process, as well as a reconciliation meeting involving Oyetola, party elders, and aggrieved stakeholders.

They also urged the President to ensure fairer federal appointments from Osun State, reflecting the party's broader membership, and proposed a state congress to reconstitute a representative APC executive.