A combined photo of APC logo and Governor Hope Uzodinma Photo: Inshot
By Victory Oghene
The All Progressives Congress (APC) may snub the party’s national campaign council led by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State during future elections going by the outcome of the Osun State governorship election.
According to THE WHISTLER, the campaign Council and other members of the campaign leadership may not to be assigned key roles in President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign organisation.
According to the party source, the outcome of the Osun election has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the Uzodimma-led campaign structure.
Yilwatda had earlier declared the Osun governorship poll a “must-win” contest for the APC.
At the inauguration of the party’s national campaign council, the APC chairman had described the election as a dress rehearsal for the 2027 general election and vowed that the ruling party would deploy its governors, ministers, federal lawmakers, local government officials and other political structures from across the country to secure victory.
“We must win Osun and nothing will stop us,” Yilwatda declared at the time.
He also unveiled an extensive grassroots mobilisation plan for APC leaders to carry out a house-to-house campaign across the state.
On July 26, the APC constituted the 276-member national campaign council and subcommittees for the election, with Uzodimma as chairman.
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas were appointed co-chairmen, while Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Kabir Masari, served as deputy chairman.
Hon. Wole Oke was named Director-General of the campaign.
The campaign reached its climax on Thursday when Akpabio, Yilwatda, Uzodimma, Abbas, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and several other APC governors and leaders stormed Osogbo for the party’s mega rally.
Representing President Tinubu at the rally, Akpabio assured voters of adequate security and urged them to support the APC candidate.
He argued that Osun should align politically with the Federal Government.
Yilwatda also repeatedly expressed confidence that the APC would emerge victorious, saying the party possessed the political experience, organisational structure and nationwide support required to reclaim Osun.
All of that seems to be fading away as APC governors and its national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and other prominent leaders of the party who stormed Osun State to rally support for the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, have left the state disappointed as unofficial results pointed to victory for incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
NATIONAL WAVES gathered that Yilwatda and other party leaders left Osun late Saturday after noticing that Adeleke has coasted to victory.
Other members of the party are expected to leave this Sunday.
Unofficial results making the rounds indicate that Governor Adeleke of the Accord Party is maintaining a clear lead.
As of the latest collated figures from 3,590 of the state’s 3,763 polling units, Adeleke had secured 508,143 votes, representing 52.32 per cent of the votes counted.
Oyebamiji, his closest challenger, had polled 434,334 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has yet to declare the official result as of the time of filing this report.
As of 1:33:03 am on Sunday, the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) shows that 3,607 out of 3,763 results had been uploaded.
This represents 95.85% of the total results.
