By Boluwatife Adedokun
Supporters and loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, have accused former governorship aspirant and ex-national secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, of promoting division within the party ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
The accusations followed a Facebook post by Mustapha Olaide, a known loyalist of Oyebamiji, who suggested that an unnamed individual within the party was leading a rebel faction instead of aligning with the party’s mainstream.
In the post, Olaide wrote, “I’m not sure what’s still holding you back from joining the mainstream. Must every system favour you? Why must you always lead a rebel group? T’oni o jô t’an.”
Although Olaide did not mention Omisore by name, comments under the post, monitored by OSUN DEFENDER, indicated that party members believed the message was directed at the former senator.
OSUN DEFENDER also observed that Omisore remains the only prominent aspirant among those who contested the APC governorship ticket and were later asked to step down for Oyebamiji, yet to publicly declare support or align with the party’s candidate.
Reacting to Olaide’s post, an APC member in the state, David Fagbohungbe, questioned Omisore’s stance, noting that other aspirants had accepted the party’s decision.
He wrote, “You were six aspirants apart from the eventual candidate. Five have accepted their fate and are working for the party’s victory, but Enikan yari kanle. If he was chosen, can he do it alone?”
Another party member, identified as Ajisekola, alleged that Omisore’s supporters were already threatening political retaliation.
According to him, “I was at Ogooluwa Axis yesterday, and one of our brothers from Ife who belongs to Omisore’s camp told me they would teach us a lesson from Ife. They said they would rather wait four years. This is why your Oga cannot be entrusted with the party.”
Similarly, Popoola Akinbode claimed that some APC members in Ile-Ife were issuing conditions for their support, particularly regarding the choice of a deputy governorship candidate.
He stated, “They believe Ife has all it takes, and they have said if APC does not pick the deputy governor from Ife, they will not work for the party. The party should move on and stay focused. Abere is our home come November 27.”
However, a dissenting view emerged from a loyalist of the former deputy governor, identified as Omo Alhaja, who questioned why Oyebamiji’s supporters were concerned about Omisore if, as they claimed, he had no electoral value.
“He has no electoral value, so why are you people worried? Or is it the Ife Chiefs’ visitation that made you rethink?” the loyalist queried.
The development reflects growing internal tensions within the Osun APC as the party moves closer to the 2026 governorship election.
