Osun APC Stakeholders Blame Oyetola For Party’s Defeat

Osun APC Stakeholders Blame Oyetola for Party’s Defeat

The post-election crisis within the All Progressives Congress APC in Osun State has deepened, with a group of party stakeholders blaming former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, for the party’s defeat in the August 15 governorship election. The Osun APC Stakeholders Forum, in an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleged that Oyetola’s control of the party’s leadership structure and distribution of political appointments contributed to divisions within the party ahead of the election. The group, led by its coordinator, Professor Akin Adeyanju, and secretary, Sola Ajayi, claimed that Oyetola sidelined party elders and other stakeholders while allegedly concentrating appointments and candidate-selection powers among his loyalists. According to the stakeholders, the former governor allegedly influenced the selection of the APC’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates, three senatorial candidates, nine House of Representatives candidates and 26 House of Assembly candidates.

They further alleged that 26 federal appointments, alongside local government and ward coordinator positions, were allocated largely to Oyetola’s loyalists. The group said the alleged pattern of exclusion weakened the party’s grassroots structure and disengaged critical stakeholders across Osun’s three senatorial districts, contributing to the APC’s loss at the polls. To prevent a repeat of the crisis, the stakeholders called for an independent review of the Osun APC leadership structure and candidate-selection process. They also demanded a reconciliation meeting involving Oyetola, party elders and aggrieved members under the supervision of the APC National Working Committee. The group further urged the party to ensure a fairer distribution of federal appointments in Osun, arguing that appointments should reflect the broader membership of the party rather than one faction. As of the time of the report, efforts to obtain a response from the Osun APC chapter were unsuccessful, as calls to the party’s Director of Media and Information went unanswered.

The allegations come amid wider concerns over internal divisions within Osun APC, including earlier disputes over the party’s structure and candidate selection.