Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said it was not formally informed about the inauguration of the state Presidential Campaign Committee for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party disclosed this on Thursday in a statement signed by its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal following the announcement of the committee’s inauguration and the appointment of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as its coordinator.
The APC said it supported Tinubu’s re-election bid and considered the campaign a collective responsibility requiring the participation and cooperation of party leaders, members and supporters across the state.
“In as much as we consider the re-election of the national leader of our party, President Tinubu, as a collective task which we have been working vigorously and assiduously to achieve through various means, it is our view and conviction that such an exercise should be properly scheduled,” the statement said.
Lawal said the exercise concerned the re-election of Nigeria’s president under the APC, which he described as the largest democratic party in sub-Saharan Africa, and should therefore follow appropriate official procedures.
The chairman said the party became aware of the committee’s membership through a list shared on social media by Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are reiterating the fact that we did not have the knowledge of any inauguration beyond the social media listing of some names yesterday afternoon by the spokesman of Governor Adeleke,” the statement said.
The APC expressed concern that the notice period was too short, arguing that the announcement, made less than 12 hours before the scheduled event, could prevent some party leaders and members from attending.
It also questioned the decision to publish the committee’s membership less than 24 hours before the inauguration without first holding consultations with the party’s state leadership.
The statement suggested that the arrangement could create avoidable tension between the Osun APC and Adeleke, who was appointed to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the state.
“In our view, the current arrangement of the said state Presidential Campaign Committee was designed to stoke and promote an avoidable misunderstanding between our party and the appointed state coordinator of the campaign in the state,” Lawal said.
Despite its reservations, the party maintained that it was not opposed to any arrangement aimed at securing Tinubu’s re-election, stressing that its concern was the process adopted to organise the campaign committee.
“We are reiterating the fact that we are not opposed to conceding anything for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election but our concern is that things should be done in a proper way to achieve desired results,” the statement said.
The Osun APC also acknowledged that Adeleke’s appointment as state campaign coordinator could improve Tinubu’s electoral prospects through cooperation among the political parties involved, while calling for proper consultation and coordination in the campaign process.
DAILY POST had earlier reported that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, former governor Bisi Akande and former governor Adegboyega Oyetola are among prominent political leaders expected to participate in the inauguration of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council scheduled to hold in Osogbo today.
The statement said the campaign council would comprise political leaders, elected office holders, former lawmakers, party executives and other stakeholders drawn from the All Progressives Congress, APC, Accord and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Osun APC not briefed about Tinubu campaign inauguration – State chairman