Osun 2026: APC weighs gains, challenges amid low membership registration figures

February 21, 2026 by Our Reporter

Despite the promise of one million votes for 2026 gubernatorial candidate of the party, Osun APC ranked 33rd in membership registration ahead of August 8th election, EVEN SLOWLY reports on state of affairs in the party.

Barely six months to the 2026 Osun State Governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State is grappling with mixed fortunes. The partys bold projection of one million votes contrasts sharply with its recent ranking as 33rd nationwide in membership registration, raising fresh questions about its grassroots mobilisation and electoral readiness.

Stakeholders within the state held that the party found itself at a critical crossroads despite bold assurances by party leaders especially from groups including the Renewed Hope Ambassadors ahead of the contest.

According to data on the APC website, the total number of registered members as at the time of filling this report was 10,989,522 with 6,459,464 males and 4,529,876 females. Ekiti State has 92,917 registered members amounting to 0.8% of the total registered members while Osun accounted for 1% of the registration with 108,621 registered members.

With the ranking, Osun stands at the 33rd position while Ekiti state occupied the 35th position among states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Prior to this development in APC, agitation for the party to pick its governorship candidate from the Osun West District surged as political groups and leaders advocated that the district should be considered for the 2026 gubernatorial ticket, should the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola decided not to run again.

Subsequently, Oyetola dropped his gubernatorial bid which resulted in nine aspirants throwing their hats into the ring to contest guber ticket of the party.

The erstwhile Managing Director of NIWA, Asiju Bola Oyebamiji (Ikire, Osun West) Former deputy governor, Iyiola Omisore (Ile-Ife, Osun East), Prince Dotun Babayemi (Gbongan, Osun West) ex-Deputy governor, Benedict Alabi (Ikire, Osun West), an Insurance magnate, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi(Ile-Oogbo, Osun West), Barrister Kunle Adegoke, SAN(Osogbo, Osun Central), Senator Babajide Omoworare(Ile-Ife, Osun East), ex-Osun House of Assembly member, Dr Mulikat Jimoh(Ikirun, Osun Central and Mr. Babatunde Hareter Oralusi(Ile-Ife, Osun East).

These aspirants contested but only Oyebamiji and Mulikat, the only female aspirants passed the screening of the APC to contest for the primary. Which raised dust within the party until President Bola Tinubu intervened.

Following, they agreed and presented Oyebamiji(AMBO) as a consensus candidate on December 13th 2025.

Since the emergence of Oyebamiji, there has been uneasy calm within the party as Omisore grumbled over the development faulting Oyetola for backing AMBO and using party mechanisms to favour him.

However, the party leaders held a partial reconcilatory meeting at the residence of Chief Bisi Akande in December 2025 where they directed all aspirants to collapse their structures into APC for the victory of Oyebamiji.

Also, the State Working Committee (SWC) APC rallied the eight governorship aspirants to close ranks and work as a united front ahead of the poll.

The party said the emergence of Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) as the partys standard-bearer has sent jitters into the ruling partys camp.

Speaking with the Director of Media, Chief Kola Olabisi, said rising from the APC maiden meeting in the new year, the state Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, was full of praises for the eight governorship aspirants, who embraced the emergence of Oyebamiji without resorting to crisis, rancour and animosity.

He said Lawal also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the leadership of Agba Osun and other personalities, whose roles manifested in the successful emergence of one out of all the qualified governorship aspirants.

The successful conduct of the partys governorship election, which culminated in the seamless emergence of Asiwaju Oyebamiji, has sent jitters into the camp of the ruling party and others, as their hitherto sing-song had been that the exercise would be a recipe for imminent implosion.

The prevalent peace and tranquillity being enjoyed in the party today is due to the successful conduct of the governorship primary election, which was made possible by the embracing of the culture of supremacy of the party by the eight aspirants.

He said the names of the eight governorship aspirants, who did not allow their aspirations to bring down the roof of the party, shall be written in gold in the political history of the party in the state.

He enjoined the aspirants to continue to inform their lieutenants and supporters on the need for the party to go into the August 8, 2026 governorship election as an indivisible and impenetrable team with a view to winning the election and chasing Governor Ademola Adeleke back to his Ede country home.

He said both formal and informal reconciliation exercises were ongoing in the party, but it was imperative for him to single out the governorship aspirants, who had proved by their actions and inactions that they were complete party men come rain or shine.

Strengths of APC

One of the major strengths of APC is that since they left government in 2022 in Osun State, they never lost any major member to the ruling party except Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola who was expelled from the party alongside his allies over anti-party activities.

APC have welcomed more strong politicians from the ruling party into its fold since 2022 to date, including, Senator Francis Fadahunsi(Osun East), Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi(Osun Central), House of Representatives members; Oluwole Oke, Sanya Omirin, Taofeek Ajilesoro and other notable members including former National Deputy Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Chief Shuib Oyedokun amongs others.

Similarly, the APC has strong leaders across the nine Federal Constituencies of the state who can muscle up votes for the party in the forthcoming poll.

The party has leaders in the major towns of Osun State, who normally determine who win election.

The party has NPA ED, Engr Olalekan Badmus and Senator Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the party, who are strong in Osogbo and Olorunda, Kayode Oduoye (Ikirun), Oyetola in Iragbiji (Boripe), Fadahunsi, Omirin, Ajilesoro in Ijesa land, Chief Akande and Fadeyi in Ila-Orangun, Babayemi in Gbongan, Oyebamiji (gubernatorial candidate) in Ikire.

APC weaknesses

One of the major weaknesses of the APC is the likelihood of being unable to secure genuine reconciliation from all the aspirants who were disqualified from the gubernatorial contest. Omisore who is from the Ile-Ife kingdom is not really pleased with the party, hence he may not work for the partys victory in 2026.

Similarly, APC may suffer major support if its fail to pick a strong deputy gubernatorial candidate from one of the major towns, either Osogbo or Ile-Ife.

Also, APC may not have a good outing in Ede South and North because it is the hometown of the incumbent governror, Adeleke who has done so well in the area of infrastructure for them.

Some local government areas like Egbedore, Orolu, Iwo, Ayedire, Odo-Otin and Ola-Oluwa may support the reelection of Ademola Adeleke because he garnered support from the councils in terms of infrastructure.

However, as the 2026 Osun State Governorship election preparation is on top gear, the publication of the names of political parties governorship candidates and their running mates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has triggered fresh political calculations among parties.

It could be recalled that INEC according to the timetable of 2026 Osun State Governorship election on Monday published the credentials of candidates and deputies of political parties which indicated the town where the incumbent government party, Accord Party and a leading opposition party, All Progrrssives Congress (APC) picked their deputies from.

Subsequently, stakeholders are reviewing campaign strategies, alliance talks and grassroots mobilisation plans to align with the emerging electoral lineup especially with exclusion of Peoples Democatic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP).

The publication of the credentials of a former lawmaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon Tunde Olatunji who is from Edunagbon in Ife North Local Government, as the running mate of the APC gubernatorial candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji(AMBO).

The development was welcomed with a mixed feelings as speculations had earlier indicated that APC would pick its deputy from either Ile-Ife or Osogbo considering the voters strength in the state.

Earlier, The Nation had reported that APC suffer major support if it failed to pick a strong deputy gubernatorial candidate from one of the major towns, either Osogbo or Ile-Ife.

According to the 2022 governorship election, APC was defeated in Ife North after securing 9,964 votes against Govenror Ademola Adeleke who got 10,359 votes.

Some local government areas like Egbedore, Orolu, Iwo, Ayedire, Odo-Otin and Ola-Oluwa may support the reelection of Ademola Adeleke because he garnered support from the councils in terms of infrastructure.

However, among the strengths of APC is that since they left government in 2022 in Osun State, they never lost any major member to the ruling party except Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola who was expelled from the party alongside his allies over anti-party activities.

APC has welcomed more strong politicians from the ruling party into its fold since 2022 to date, including, Senator Francis Fadahunsi(Osun East), Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi(Osun Central), House of Representatives members; Oluwole Oke, Sanya Omirin, Taofeek Ajilesoro and other notable members including former National Deputy Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Chief Shuib Oyedokun, among others.

Similarly, the APC has strong leaders across the nine Federal Constituencies of the state who can mobilize votes for the party in the forthcoming poll.

The party has leaders in the major towns of Osun State, who normally determine election outcomes.

The party has NPA ED, Engr Olalekan Badmus and Senator Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the party, who are strong in Osogbo and Olorunda, Kayode Oduoye (Ikirun), Oyetola in Iragbiji (Boripe), Fadahunsi, Omirin, Ajilesoro in Ijesa land, Chief Akande and Fadeyi in Ila-Orangun, Babayemi in Gbongan, Oyebamiji (gubernatorial candidate) in Ikire.

Meanwhile, it was insinuated that Accord Party may not field the incumbent deputy governor, Kola Adewusi who is from Ile-Ife because months before the party chieftain passed a vote of no confidence on him. However, he was returned as the running mate to Adeleke.

The publication of the name of the ex-lawmaker, Hon Olatunji has raised dust within the Progressives fold as some party members held that the party is not inclusive enough as the structure of the party only recognised the faction of Ilerioluwa/AMBO for the gains of the party.

Stakeholders held that the practice within the party made Osun APC record very low party registration ahead of the poll.