President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly convened a late-night meeting with 76 leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as concerns grow over internal dissatisfaction ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The meeting was said to have followed an intelligence report allegedly submitted by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, warning that several influential APC figures in Osun felt excluded from the party’s affairs and the ongoing governorship campaign.
Sources who attended the meeting said the President urged the aggrieved leaders to put aside their differences and work for the success of the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
One former local government chairman who attended the session said the NSA’s report drew Tinubu’s attention to the extent of dissatisfaction within the state chapter of the party.
“The meeting was at the instance of an intelligence report from the NSA,” the source said.
“I am aware that he told Tinubu that many APC leaders in Osun were not happy and had not been carried along in the party’s affairs, including the ongoing campaign.”
According to the source, the report warned that the growing grievances could affect the party’s electoral chances if they were not urgently addressed.
Tinubu was said to have instructed the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, to coordinate the affected leaders for the meeting.
Some of the party chieftains reportedly travelled to Abuja on chartered flights from Ibadan, while others departed from Lagos.
Among those said to have attended were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Olubunmi Ete, former Speakers of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mojeed Alabi, Adejare Bello and Wale Afolabi, as well as Shuaib Oyedokun, Poju Odusola and Bode Olanipekun.
Another participant described the meeting as an unusually frank engagement in which party leaders presented their grievances directly to the President.
“We were around 76 in number at the meeting. It was an opportunity for the President to know the truth about what is happening in Osun State,” the source said.
The source further alleged that many federal appointments allocated to Osun had largely gone to allies of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
“We told the President the truth, that the majority of us, the APC leaders, don’t know how the party is being run,” he added.
Another attendee said Tinubu warned that internal divisions could cost the APC the governorship election and ultimately damage the entire party rather than any particular faction.
According to the source, the President expressed concern over the party’s defeats in the 2022 Osun governorship election and the 2023 general elections in the state.
One participant quoted Tinubu as urging the leaders to “work for the victory of the party” and set aside their grievances in the interest of unity.
Concerns were also reportedly raised about whether an APC administration in Osun would be inclusive if Oyebamiji eventually emerged victorious.
Tinubu was said to have assured the leaders that opportunities existed both within the state and at the federal level and urged them to rally behind the party’s candidate.
Efforts to obtain a response from Ajibola Basiru were unsuccessful, as telephone calls and messages sent to him were not answered.
However, the Osun APC Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Olabisi, confirmed that the meeting took place.
“Yes, I am aware. That is all I can say,” Olabisi stated.
Other party sources also confirmed that Basiru played a role in coordinating the meeting as part of efforts to address internal grievances before the governorship poll.
The development comes as the APC intensifies efforts to regain political control of Osun State, where Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is seeking re-election in what is expected to be a closely contested election.
