By Reportcircle News
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown its first major punch in the race for Osun State, unveiling a consensus governorship candidate and signalling an all-out battle for power ahead of the 2026 election.
At a charged ceremony marked by unity and bravado, the party formally presented the Certificate of Return to Bola Oyebamiji, anointing him as the APC’s sole governorship candidate for Osun State.
With that single act, the party closed ranks, shut down internal rivalry, and launched what it described as a decisive campaign to reclaim the state.
National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, declared the moment historic.
According to him, the party had “minted a brand new candidate” through a rare consensus process, setting the APC apart from rival parties fractured by bitter primaries.
Nine aspirants, he revealed, voluntarily collapsed their ambitions to rally behind Oyebamiji, an outcome he described as a powerful signal of internal harmony.
“This is unique,” Yilwatda said, noting that the process demonstrated not only party discipline but also mutual trust among the aspirants.
He stressed that Oyebamiji emerged not as a factional choice, but as a collective decision, one expected to translate into unity during the campaign, the election, and eventual governance.
With the certificate now handed over, the party Chairman declared Oyebamiji officially armed for the August 2026 Osun governorship election, warning that the APC was not entering the race to merely compete.
The language was unmistakably combative.
The APC, Yilwatda said, is prepared to stand with the people of Osun “neck to neck, leg to leg,” committing its full organisational muscle, political machinery, and grassroots strength to ensure a convincing victory beyond any reasonable doubt.
“This is not just about winning,” he insisted. “It is about winning convincingly.”
He announced the beginning of a full-scale mobilisation, with party resources and campaign structures being redirected toward Osun State as the APC seeks to wrest power from what Oyebamiji later derisively called the “dancing government.”
When the candidate took the podium, the confidence only sharpened.
Clearly energised, Bola Oyebamiji described the certificate as both an honour and a mandate, declaring Osun State ready for what he framed as a return to serious governance.
“Governance is serious business,” he said. “Osun has enormous human and material assets, and it needs a serious manager to drive them.”
Without hesitation, he positioned himself as that manager.
Oyebamiji pledged to convert the party’s unity into electoral victory, promising to deliver Osun not just in 2026, but also for the APC at the national level in 2027.
He thanked the party’s national leadership for the trust reposed in him and vowed not to disappoint.
Asked about the opposition, Oyebamiji brushed aside the idea of rivalry altogether.
“I don’t have a competitor,” he said flatly, predicting a sweeping APC victory in Osun when voters go to the polls.
With the certificate issued, the rhetoric sharpened, and the machinery switched on, the APC has made its intentions unmistakably clear: Osun is now a frontline battleground and the 2026 governorship race has officially begun.
