Osun 2026: Division hits APC UK over ‘factional’ endorsement of party scribe Basir

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

A sharp division has emerged within the United Kingdom Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the endorsement of the National Secretary of the party, Dr Ajibola Basiru, by a faction for the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

A faction led by Hon Tunde Doherty, chairman, and Dr Momoh Obaro, secretary, declared support for President Bola Tinubu for 2027 and reportedly endorsed Basiru for the 2026 election in Osun.

However, the Deputy Youth Leader of the party, Tunmise Ajiboye, maintained that the opinion of the chairman and the secretary does not represent the opinion of the entire APC in the UK.

In a 58-second video obtained by our correspondent, the executives endorsed President Bola Tinubu and vowed to support his Renewed Hope Agenda until he is re-elected in 2027.

Ajiboye said the video showed that the purported endorsement of Basiru is misleading and imaginary, insisting that there was no time the Chapter met as a body to adopt the said politician for the Osun governorship election.

He said, “I am constrained to make a clarification on the purported endorsement granted the governorship bid of Senator Ajibola Basiru (SRJ) by a section of the UK chapter of our party, APC.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that the said endorsement was a ruse, as there was no time the Chapter took a decision to support a particular aspirant in an election that would take place in Osun State.

“The executives converged over the weekend, but the said decision of the individuals was construed and heightened to be the decision of the entire chapter. That is not correct. That is pure mischief. It was not a unanimous decision.

“So, why should a decision made by a few individuals, in their personal capacity, be coloured by the media to be the decision of the whole executive or the entire chapter? I hold that it is not reasonable that such individual preferences should be elevated to equate the collective decision of the Chapter.

“This should not be tolerated. It is capable of endangering and limiting our relationships with other aspirants in the contest and, of course, casting us in a bad light in the event the adopted or endorsed aspirant does not later emerge as the party flag-bearer in Osun,” Ajiboye said.