7 APC Aspirants Step Down for Oyebamiji

In a significant development, at least seven governorship aspirants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State have withdrawn from the race after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday. The aspirants have agreed to support Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus candidate for the upcoming primary election. The meeting, convened by President Tinubu, was attended by several aspirants, including former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh. However, Iyiola Omisore, one of the aspirants, boycotted the meeting, having earlier expressed dissatisfaction with his disqualification from the primary, which he described as a “joke.” The decision by the seven aspirants to step down and support a consensus candidate is seen as a move to unify the party ahead of the primary election. The APC is one of the major political parties in Nigeria, and the Osun State governorship election is expected to be highly contested. The meeting with President Tinubu is believed to have played a significant role in the aspirants’ decision to withdraw from the race. As the leader of the APC, President Tinubu’s endorsement of Bola Oyebamiji is likely to influence the outcome of the primary election. The development is a significant milestone in the Osun State governorship election, which is scheduled to take place in the coming months. The election is expected to be closely watched, given the state’s strategic importance in Nigerian politics. With the APC now seemingly unified behind a single candidate, the party’s chances of winning the election may have improved. The next step is for the APC to conduct its primary election, where Bola Oyebamiji is now the consensus candidate. The outcome of the primary will determine the party’s flagbearer for the governorship election, which will pit the APC against other political parties, including the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The Osun State governorship election is expected to be a highly competitive contest, with significant implications for the state’s political landscape.