The immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, on Saturday emerged as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.
Oyebamiji’s emergence followed a motion moved by two governorship aspirants, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Senator Babajide Omoworare, during the party’s primary election held at the premises of Ebunoluwa Group of Schools in Osogbo, the state capital.
The motion was subsequently subjected to a voice vote by the Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Committee and Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo. The motion received overwhelming approval from party members present at the venue.
Following the affirmation, Okpebholo formally announced Oyebamiji as the party’s flagbearer. “By the power conferred on me, I present to you Bola Oyebamiji as the governorship candidate of our party,” he declared.
The APC governorship primary commenced earlier in Osogbo with the arrival of members of the primary election committee, led by Okpebholo. He had earlier indicated that the party’s candidate would emerge through affirmation.
Also present at the venue were the co-chairman of the committee and Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; Dr Obafemi Hamzat, representing the Lagos State Governor; and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Ahead of the primary, 1,660 delegates eligible to participate in the December 13 governorship primary were earlier announced by the party. However, indications had emerged that the seven APC governorship aspirants in the state had agreed to support a consensus candidate following a late-night meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, publicly endorsed the party’s consensus arrangement. Speaking on TVC News programme Politics Tonight on Wednesday, Omisore said he accepted the party’s decision following guidance from President Tinubu.
Omisore, who was among seven aspirants disqualified by the APC Screening Committee over alleged violations of party guidelines and electoral provisions, expressed support for the party’s strategy ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
