Osun Poll: APC Inaugurates Campaign Council, Says Election Will Be Litmus Test For 2027

0

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated its National Campaign Council for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, describing the poll as a major test of the party’s readiness and political strength ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Tuesday, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the party had assembled experienced political leaders and stakeholders from across the country to coordinate a robust grassroots campaign and ensure victory for the party and its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

Yilwatda said members of the council were carefully selected from different sectors and political backgrounds, including serving and former governors, members of the National Assembly, members of the Federal Executive Council, deputy governors, party leaders, business leaders and other stakeholders.

According to him, the composition of the council reflected the APC’s vast political experience and organisational capacity.

“If there is any political party in Nigeria that has human resources in abundance, it is the APC. If there is any political party that has the most experienced politicians in Nigeria, it is the APC,” Yilwatda said.

He added that the ruling party had the political structure and manpower to win elections at all levels, from councillorship and local government elections to governorship and presidential contests.

The APC chairman described the Osun governorship election as the party’s last major electoral test before the 2027 general election, saying the poll would serve as a “litmus test,” practice ground and rehearsal for the political machinery being prepared for the next general election.

“This will be our litmus test. It will measure our level of preparedness for 2027. This will be our practice ground. It will be our rehearsal for the political machine we are preparing for 2027,” he said.

Yilwatda said winning the Osun election was a major priority for the APC, adding that the party would deploy its governors, lawmakers, local government chairmen, councillors and other political leaders to undertake intensive grassroots mobilisation across the state.

He said the campaign would be driven by person-to-person engagement and house-to-house mobilisation across the state’s communities, irrespective of ethnicity, language or place of origin.

The APC chairman also assigned a major role to the party’s women’s wing, stressing that women would be central to the party’s grassroots campaign and voter mobilisation strategy.

He expressed confidence that the calibre of leaders appointed to the campaign council would give the party a strong advantage in the election.

“The people standing here are men and women of great political strength who can withstand any political party in Osun State,” Yilwatda said before formally declaring the campaign council inaugurated.

Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated council, Imo State Governor and Chairman of the council, Senator Hope Uzodimma, said members accepted the assignment with humility and a determination to justify the confidence reposed in them by the party leadership.

Uzodimma described the assignment as a solemn obligation to the APC, Nigeria’s democracy and the people of Osun State, stressing that every party leader and stakeholder had a role to play in the campaign.

“This is a collective responsibility. Every member of this council, every leader, every member of our party and every progressive stakeholder has a vital role to play. There can be no spectator in a mission of this importance,” he said.

He said the council would run an issue-based, evidence-driven and respectful campaign focused on engaging the people of Osun and presenting the APC candidate as a competent and people-centred leader.

According to the Imo governor, the campaign would be anchored on the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s record of governance across the country.

He described President Tinubu as a courageous leader whose Renewed Hope Agenda was laying the foundation for a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria.

Uzodimma said the campaign council would engage workers, farmers, market women, artisans, professionals, young people, traditional and religious leaders, as well as persons with disabilities across communities, local government areas, wards and polling units.

He added that the APC would not be distracted by opposition criticism, misinformation or social media campaigns, saying the party would respond to falsehood with facts and propaganda with its record of performance.

“We will answer falsehood with facts. We will respond to insults with discipline, propaganda with performance and provocation with peace,” he said.

The governor also pledged that the APC would support a peaceful, free and credible election, insisting that no political ambition was worth the blood of any Nigerian.

“Our campaign will be vigorous without violence, competitive without bitterness and confident without arrogance. We shall conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Omoluabi ethos of Osun State,” he added.

In his remarks, the APC governorship candidate, Oyebamiji, said the people and leaders of Osun State were excited by the calibre of political leaders appointed to the campaign council.

He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the APC National Working Committee for their support and commitment to the party’s campaign efforts in the state.

Oyebamiji said the APC had continued to take its message of prosperity, good governance and Renewed Hope to communities across the state since his emergence as the party’s candidate.

He said the party had intensified engagement with traditional rulers, private sector operators, market men and women, students, artisans, professionals, religious leaders, women and youths.

According to him, the APC was growing stronger across Osun’s three senatorial districts, nine federal constituencies, 26 state constituencies, 30 local government areas, 332 political wards and 3,762 polling units.

Oyebamiji said the party had received strong support from women and young people, citing recent solidarity activities across several towns and cities in the state.

He expressed confidence that the APC was prepared to reclaim the governorship and return Osun to what he described as the progressive fold.

“The people of Osun State are ready. The Osun APC is ready. Our campaign is ready. Together, we will win. Together, we will rescue Osun. Together, we will build a prosperous and sustainable Osun State,” Oyebamiji said.

The APC candidate pledged to work closely with members of the campaign council and other party stakeholders to secure victory for the party in the governorship election.