Fresh disagreements have emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State over arrangements for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign after the party accused organisers of failing to consult its leadership before announcing the inauguration of the state Presidential Campaign Committee.
The Osun APC said it was not formally informed about the inauguration and only learnt about the committee’s composition after the list of members appeared on social media.
The development comes amid a political arrangement involving Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, who has been named coordinator of Tinubu’s presidential campaign in the state.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, expressed displeasure over what he described as inadequate communication and the short notice given to party leaders ahead of the inauguration.
Lawal said the party became aware of the committee’s membership when the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, published the list on social media on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are reiterating the fact that we did not have the knowledge of any inauguration beyond the social media listing of some names yesterday afternoon by the spokesman of Governor Adeleke,” he said.
The APC chairman also questioned the timing of the announcement, arguing that notifying stakeholders less than 12 hours before the scheduled event could prevent several party leaders and members from attending.
He maintained that the state chapter should have been consulted before the committee’s composition was made public, particularly given the importance of the President’s re-election campaign.
According to Lawal, Tinubu’s second-term bid requires careful planning and cooperation among political stakeholders rather than hurried arrangements that could generate unnecessary disagreements.
“In as much as we consider the re-election of the national leader of our party, President Tinubu, as a collective task which we have been working vigorously and assiduously to achieve through various means, it is our view and conviction that such an exercise should be properly scheduled,” the chairman stated.
He further argued that the campaign deserved an organised and transparent process because it concerned the re-election of a President elected on the APC platform.
The Osun APC also suggested that the manner in which the committee was constituted could create avoidable tension between the party and Adeleke, who belongs to a different political platform.
“In our view, the current arrangement of the said state Presidential Campaign Committee was designed to stoke and promote an avoidable misunderstanding between our party and the appointed state coordinator of the campaign in the state,” Lawal alleged.
Despite its reservations, the party stressed that it remained committed to securing Tinubu’s re-election and was prepared to make compromises in pursuit of that objective.
“We are reiterating the fact that we are not opposed to conceding anything for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election, but our concern is that things should be done in a proper way to achieve desired results,” the statement added.
The APC leadership acknowledged that Adeleke’s involvement in the campaign could help expand Tinubu’s support base in Osun, particularly through cooperation across party lines.
However, it insisted that such collaboration must be supported by adequate consultation, effective coordination and respect for the party’s state leadership.
The committee’s inauguration was scheduled to take place in Osogbo on Thursday, with Adeleke and former Osun governors Bisi Akande and Adegboyega Oyetola expected to attend.
The campaign council reportedly includes political leaders, elected officials, former lawmakers, party executives and other stakeholders drawn from the APC, the Accord Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The disagreement highlights the coordination challenges that can arise when political figures from different parties come together to support a presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
