A political storm is brewing within the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after prominent stakeholders and traditional leaders in Ila-Orangun openly demanded the restoration of the party’s Osun Central Senatorial ticket to the incumbent senator, Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunla.
The demand was made on Monday during the APC governorship campaign rally of the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), when party leaders paid a courtesy visit to the palace of the Orangun of Ila-Orangun.
The issue was raised before top APC leaders by the traditional spokesman to the Orangun of Ila-Orangun, Alhaji Abdulkareem Biliaminu, who expressed the community’s displeasure over the manner in which Senator Ajagunla lost the party’s senatorial ticket despite what he described as his outstanding representation and developmental projects across the district.
Eyewitnesses at the palace said the appeal caught the visiting APC leaders off guard, with none of them reportedly responding to the concerns raised by the traditional institution.
Speaking on behalf of the palace, Biliaminu said the people of Ila-Orangun remained firmly behind Ajagunla, whom he described as “Oluomo” (our beloved son), insisting that the senator had earned the loyalty of the community through visible developmental achievements.
“We appeal again to the President Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and Hon Minister Adegboyega Oyetola to re-visit this issue before its too late
“The people of Ila-Orangun stand solidly behind Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunla. He is our *Oluomo*, and we believe he deserves justice. We appeal to the leadership of the APC to revisit the circumstances surrounding the loss of his senatorial ticket,” the traditional spokesman said.
He added that the mood in the ancient town reflected widespread disappointment over the outcome of the party’s senatorial primary.
“Our people are not happy with what happened. The feeling across Ila-Orangun is that Senator Ajagunla has served the district diligently and should not have been denied the opportunity to seek another mandate under the APC,” Biliaminu stated.
The spokesman further appealed to the party leadership to take the concerns of the community seriously in the interest of unity ahead of future elections.
“This is not just about politics; it is about fairness, recognition of performance and preserving the confidence of our people in the party. We urge the APC leadership to do everything within its powers to address this grievance,” he said.
The public expression of dissatisfaction has further exposed cracks within the Osun APC, where discontent has lingered since the conclusion of the party’s primary elections.
Ajagunnla, a former PDP Senator who defeated the APC Senator from Osun Central in 2023 general elections, lost the party ticket in a coordinated primary which ought to be consensus primaries.
His defeat came amid intense political realignments within the Osun APC. Before the primary, Femi Oyetola, son of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, had withdrawn from the race, saying his decision followed consultations with party leaders and was aimed at promoting party unity.
Despite the official explanations surrounding the primary, many supporters of Ajagunla in Ila-Orangun believe powerful interests within the party influenced the outcome. Although no evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate the allegation, several residents of the town privately blamed former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for what they described as the senator’s loss of the APC ticket.
The development has left the Osun APC facing fresh internal pressure as it seeks to maintain cohesion ahead of forthcoming political contests, with party leaders yet to publicly respond to the concerns raised at the Orangun’s palace.
