Osun 2026: Adeleke May Not Be On Ballot, APC Campaign DG Bombshell

The political landscape in Osun State has been thrown into a frenzy following a startling claim by the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign for the 2026 governorship election, Hon. Oluwole Oke, that the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke, may be legally barred from appearing on the ballot.

Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, Oke—who currently represents Obokun/Ori-Ade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives—suggested that an ongoing leadership tussle within the opposition’s ranks and complex court cases could technically disqualify the Governor from the upcoming contest.

The APC Campaign DG pointed to a specific legal crisis involving the Accord Party and internal frictions within the ruling bloc as potential landmines for the Governor’s reelection bid.

“Adeleke might not be on the ballot because of the crisis within themselves,” Oke asserted. “We have another candidate called Bamigbola in Accord Party; they are in court, so we don’t even know who is competing with us at this stage.”

Beyond the legal threats to the incumbent, Hon. Oke expressed supreme confidence in the electoral might of the APC. He predicted a sweeping victory for the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), across 26 of the 30 local government areas in the state.

According to his analysis, the Governor and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, would be left to scramble for the remaining four local government areas, primarily splitting votes in Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo.

“We are targeting the electorate and not relying on anything outside this,” Oke noted, emphasizing that the APC’s superior credentials would carry the day.

The APC’s momentum received a significant boost during a meeting of the Ajisope Political Movement, where the Fulani community in Osun State formally endorsed Oyebamiji for the governorship seat. The community’s youth leader, Ahmod Abubarka, claimed they are ready to mobilize over one million votes for the APC.

In a further blow to the opposition, the Coordinator of the Ajisope Political Movement, Chief Kabir Adeoye, revealed that 1,200 members of the Accord Party in Orolu Local Government Area have defected to the APC.

“We are working tirelessly at the grassroots. We are sure that more defectors will join us before the 2026 and 2027 elections,” Adeoye stated, framing the movement as a dual-purpose campaign for both Oyebamiji’s governorship and President Bola Tinubu’s reelection.

As the 2026 governorship race draws closer, the APC appears to be tightening its grip on the grassroots while banking on the legal misfortunes of its rivals to clear the path to the Government House.