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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Some days after the withdrawal of National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ajibola Basiru, from the governorship race in Osun State, a coalition of youths and women’s groups from Osogbo has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prioritize aspirants of Osogbo origin as screening begins for the upcoming December 13 governorship primary.
During a press conference held in Osogbo, on Tuesday, the coalition presented two candidates for consideration: Professor Rafiu Durodoye, a US-based Professor of Mathematics, and Kunle Adegoke SAN. The groups pledged to support whichever candidate the APC selects, saying that is the condition to get their votes.
AbduRahmon Okunade, who spoke on behalf of various organizations, including the Osogbo Progressive Youth Movement (OPYM), Osogbo National Students Union, and Osogbo Indigenous Sisters Association, emphasized the importance of Osogbo in determining electoral outcomes in the state.
“Our demand is straightforward: Osogbo deserves serious consideration for the governorship ticket, and our reasons go beyond sentiment,” Okunade stated. The coalition explained that Osogbo and Olorunda have a combined total of nearly 300,000 registered voters, accounting for 15% of the state’s total registration of 1,954,800.
“With this volume of committed voters, any party that wins Osogbo convincingly gains a significant electoral advantage,” the group asserted.
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They further expressed their readiness to mobilize grassroots support, stating, “If the APC fields an Osogbo-born candidate, the town is prepared to galvanize its full political machinery. Grassroots structures, youth mobilization networks, community outreach platforms, and voluntary support groups are already in motion.”
The coalition highlighted that with Senator Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the party, having withdrawn from the race, only Adegoke and Durodoye remain as aspirants from Osogbo, saying that both candidates are recognized for their significant goodwill across Osogbo’s traditional institutions, youth communities, and civic bodies.
They noted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have already reserved their candidacies for the West Senatorial District. “The APC, however, is still screening its aspirants, with two candidates from Osogbo,” they stated, emphasizing the importance of their local representation in the race.
