PDP warns as group pushes Oyetola to contest 2026 governorship
The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, on Wednesday, warned ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola, of impending defeat as calls for him to join the 2026 governorship race in the state intensified.
The PDP Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, advised Oyetola’s party, the All Progressives Congress, to first put its house in order before speaking about the next governorship election.
Bamiji, in an interview with The PUNCH, was reacting to the call by a group in the APC for Oyetola to return in 2026 to face PDP’s Governor Ademola Adeleke in the 2026 poll.
“We welcome anyone they choose to bring forward, but our advice is for them to first put their house in order. The electorate will determine their fate,” Bamiji said. “Osun people are watching, and they will deliver their judgment again. APC should focus on reducing confusion within their ranks and approach the election with clarity and purpose.”
A political group, Ilerioluwa Progressive Support Group, had on Wednesday, called on Oyetola to contest the next governorship election in Osun State.
The group said Oyetola must contest to save the party from avoidable crises.
Oyetola defeated Ademola Adeleke in 2018 to become the Osun State governor on the APC ticket.
However, he lost his reelection bid to Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, in the 2022 election.
Speaking at a media parley held in Osogbo, the group’s chairman, Dr Adejare Adeyoola, who read a letter addressed to Oyetola, said the ex-governor had a good performance rating while in office in the state.
Adeyoola also feared that opening the race may lead to a rancorous contest that would be difficult for the APC to manage.
Copies of the letter, titled: “Clarion call and invitation to His Excellency, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, to recontest the governorship position of Osun State,” were sent to Oyetola and the pioneer National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, among others.
It read, “We, members of the Ilerioluwa Progressive Support Group, are not only inviting His Excellency, our minister, to re-contest to fulfil this desire, but we are also calling on him to re-contest because of his exceptional administrative ingenuity and the solid foundation he laid during his tenure as the former governor of Osun State.
“With meagre funds available to the government and servicing of the loan, he built Olaiya flyover and commissioned it. He was the first governor to establish the Health Insurance Scheme which made his achievement spectacular.
“In the area of security, he was the first to strengthen the Amotekun Corps. Therefore, we, the IPSG, are calling on our esteemed Minister of Marine and Blue Economy to recontest the Osun State governorship due to his attributes as a calm, level-headed, and reflective leader.
“He remains composed in the face of internal and external challenges and possesses a deep understanding of financial management, coupled with innovative ideas and development initiatives.
“Additionally, his exceptional service delivery, even with limited resources, stands out. He also introduced participatory democracy and need assessments, which spurred infrastructural development as a catalyst for industrial growth — achievements the current administration is building on but has yet to surpass.”
The group urged Oyetola to accept the call to run for office again on the APC platform in the party’s interest.
