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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Mixed reactions have followed a claim by Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant in Osun West, that President Bola Tinubu wanted Governor Ademola Adeleke to remain as the state’s governor.
According to a viral video, Ogunbiyi quoted Tinubu as saying that he did not expect any candidate from Osun other than Adeleke so that he could “spend and make things easy” for him. The video also alleged that Adegboye Oyetola rejected Adeleke’s candidacy and that Tinubu then questioned how they would win Osun.
The APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, in a statement issued on Monday, urged the public to disregard the video, describing it as a distorted clip allegedly circulated by members of the Accord Party and their supporters in the state.
Olabisi stated that Ogunbiyi is a “credible” APC leader who would not be involved in actions that harm the party. He argued that the circulated clip was selective and failed to show the portion where Ogunbiyi reiterated his commitment to the APC’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), and pledged support for AMBO’s victory.
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Olabisi also claimed the misinformation originated from political actors aligned with Governor Adeleke, whom he described as being “in political wilderness” and looking for ways to soften their position ahead of anticipated APC victories.
Meanwhile, the council of elders within the APC in Osun State—Igbimo Agba—described the statement attributed to Ogunbiyi as “untoward and highly unguided”.
In a statement by its Chairman, Sola Akinwumi, the elders said that although Ogunbiyi is respected, his purported comments were not in line with the party’s political ethics and contradicted what they said “actually transpired” during the meeting with Tinubu.
They warned party members to desist from making statements that could be misconstrued by the public, stressing that the APC is known for strict adherence to constitutional and party guidelines.
