BASIRU STEPS ASIDE FROM OSUN GOVERNORSHIP BID, CITES NATIONAL DUTY

 

National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has formally withdrawn from the race for the 2026 Osun governorship ticket, saying the demands of his current office require undivided attention.

Basiru made the announcement yesterday in Osogbo during the commissioning of Alubarika House, the operational base of his political structure.

The former Senate spokesperson, who had been consulting widely across wards and local governments, said his decision came after weighing the expectations of party elders and the strategic responsibilities tied to his national role.

According to him, after consultations with stakeholders — including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — it became clear that contesting the 2026 governorship election would conflict with the obligations of his office.

> “Given the weighty responsibilities attached to my position as national secretary of our great party, and after extensive engagement with our leaders, particularly the President, I wish to state clearly that I will not be contesting the 2026 Osun governorship election,” he said.

 

Basiru stressed that stepping down from the race does not signal disengagement from Osun politics or the APC family. Instead, he described the decision as a renewed commitment to nurture political disciples and strengthen the progressive fold.

The newly inaugurated Alubarika House, he said, will serve as a convergence point for his movement and as a platform for empowerment schemes. He immediately announced a N50 million take-off fund for the initiatives.

Basiru also noted that preparing the APC for the 2027 general elections and consolidating the party’s national structures demand his full focus.
He assured supporters that the Alubarika Movement will work vigorously for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Confident that the APC remains a formidable force in Osun, he predicted victory for the party in the 2026 governorship election, insisting that the ruling PDP under Governor Ademola Adeleke “cannot withstand a united and reorganised APC”.

With Basiru’s withdrawal, about 13 aspirants remain in the contest for the party’s ticket, including former NIWA boss Bola Oyebamiji; ex-Senate committee chairman Babajide Omoworare; former deputy governor Iyiola Omisore; legal practitioner Dotun Babayemi; former deputy governor Benedict Alabi; insurance executive Akin Ogunbiyi; and SAN Kunle Adegoke.