Osun 2026: Akande Brings APC Elders Together as Omisore, Oyetola Camp Seek Unity Ahead of Governorship Poll!
The political calculations within the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have entered a critical phase as party elders and influential leaders intensify efforts to close ranks ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
At the centre of the latest reconciliation drive is former Osun State Governor and former APC national chairman, Chief Adebisi Akande, who has emerged as a key figure in attempts to bridge differences among major stakeholders, including former deputy governor and former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and former Osun governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The development reflects growing recognition within the APC that internal cohesion will be essential to the party’s prospects in a closely watched election in which it hopes to defeat the incumbent administration.
Reports by The PUNCH and other Nigerian media outlets indicated that Akande facilitated a meeting between Omisore and Oyetola in Abuja on Sunday, April 19, 2026, as part of broader efforts to resolve political differences within the Osun APC. The meeting reportedly followed an earlier engagement between Omisore and members of the Osun APC Elders Council in Ile-Ife. (Punch Newspapers)
The intervention assumes particular significance because Omisore remains an influential political figure in Osun, especially in the Ile-Ife axis, while Oyetola retains considerable political relevance within the APC structure and currently serves as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akande’s role in APC reconciliation
Akande’s involvement gives the reconciliation effort additional political weight. The elder statesman was governor of Osun State from 1999 to 2003 and subsequently became one of the founding national figures of the APC.
His political relationship with Omisore dates back to the beginning of Nigeria’s current democratic era. Omisore served as Akande’s deputy governor between 1999 and 2002, although their administration was later engulfed by a serious political dispute that eventually resulted in Omisore’s impeachment. Their subsequent political trajectories diverged for years before Omisore eventually joined the APC in 2021.
The significance of their later political interactions lies in the transformation of a historically difficult relationship into one that now appears to be part of wider efforts to consolidate the APC’s structure in Osun.
The PUNCH reported that Omisore’s political organisation welcomed Akande’s intervention, describing the reconciliation initiative as an important step towards resolving differences between Omisore and Oyetola. (Punch Newspapers)
The development also recalls Akande’s earlier role in efforts to reconcile factions of the Osun APC. In October 2021, he hosted an elders’ caucus meeting attended by prominent party figures, including Omisore, as the party attempted to address internal disagreements ahead of the 2022 governorship election. The Nation reported at the time that the meeting involved 29 party elders and focused on resolving the crisis within the party and strengthening support for the then-governor, Oyetola. (The Nation)
Omisore and the APC’s 2026 calculations
Omisore’s importance to the current reconciliation effort cannot be separated from his political history in Osun.
Before joining the APC, Omisore contested several major elections in the state. He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2014 Osun governorship election and later contested the 2018 governorship election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
His political alignment with the APC became more pronounced after the 2018 election, when his support during the rerun contributed to the eventual victory of Oyetola, the APC candidate at the time. Omisore formally registered as an APC member in February 2021. The PUNCH reported that his decision to join the party followed political realignments that had developed after the 2018 election. (Punch Newspapers)
Omisore subsequently became APC National Secretary and played a prominent role in the party’s national political machinery.
His influence therefore became an important factor in the APC’s internal calculations as the party approached the 2026 Osun governorship contest.
Before the party’s governorship primary, Omisore himself expressed interest in securing the APC ticket. The PUNCH reported in October 2025 that he declared confidence in his chances of winning the party’s nomination and said he expected strong support from APC members. (Punch Newspapers)
The party eventually settled on Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, as its governorship candidate.
That outcome shifted the political equation. With the nomination decided, the focus moved from the contest for the ticket to the larger challenge of ensuring that influential party figures and their structures work behind the APC candidate.
Why party unity matters
The reconciliation efforts are taking place against the backdrop of a highly consequential election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Osun State governorship election for Saturday, August 15, 2026. The commission’s official election calendar currently lists the Osun governorship election among Nigeria’s next major electoral contests. (INEC Nigeria)
The APC’s challenge is therefore not simply to campaign against its opponents but to maintain internal discipline and ensure that competing interests do not weaken its electoral machinery.
This is particularly important in a state where political contests have historically been competitive and where local structures, personalities, regional calculations and grassroots networks can significantly influence election outcomes.
Reports surrounding the Omisore-Akande-Oyetola engagements suggest that reconciliation is being approached as part of a broader effort to harmonise the party’s structures.
Osun Defender reported that the Abuja reconciliation meeting followed an earlier meeting between Omisore and members of the Osun APC Elders Council in Ile-Ife. The publication also reported that discussions had included issues and demands presented by Omisore to the party leadership. (Osun Defender)
These developments underline the complexity of managing political alliances after a competitive primary election. While the APC has produced its candidate, maintaining the loyalty and active participation of prominent aspirants and political blocs remains a separate challenge.
From reconciliation to electoral mobilisation
The APC’s subsequent activities indicate that the party has moved from internal negotiations towards full-scale electoral mobilisation.
In late July, the party inaugurated a national campaign council for the Osun election, with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma appointed chairman. The PUNCH reported that the 276-member council was tasked with driving the party’s campaign for Oyebamiji and described the Osun contest as an important test ahead of the 2027 general elections. (Punch Newspapers)
The APC’s campaign strategy has also increasingly focused on grassroots mobilisation, party structures and polling-unit organisation.
The broader political significance of the Osun election extends beyond the state itself. With the 2027 general elections approaching, victories or defeats in off-cycle governorship contests can shape perceptions of party strength, organisational capacity and voter sentiment.
For the APC, reclaiming Osun would represent a significant political gain. For the opposition and the incumbent political camp, retaining control of the state would reinforce their own organisational and electoral credentials.
A contest shaped by personalities and issues
Despite the prominence of political personalities in the current developments, the eventual outcome will ultimately be determined by voters.
The reconciliation meetings involving Akande, Omisore, Oyetola and other APC stakeholders may strengthen the party’s internal machinery, but political agreements among elites do not automatically translate into electoral support.
The APC will have to convince voters on issues including governance, economic opportunity, infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and the management of public resources.
The party has already begun presenting its campaign as a platform for change, while its opponents are expected to defend their records and challenge the APC’s claims.
For WengGlobal, the central issue to watch is therefore whether the APC’s reconciliation efforts can translate into a genuinely unified campaign structure across Osun’s local government areas and wards.
The Omisore-Akande engagement represents an important stage in that process. It demonstrates that senior figures within the party recognise the electoral cost of prolonged internal division and are willing to deploy political capital to reduce tensions.
Yet the durability of the rapprochement will be tested not at closed-door meetings but during the final stages of mobilisation, candidate campaigning and election-day organisation.
As August 15 approaches, the APC’s ability to convert reconciliation into coordinated grassroots action could prove as important as the popularity of its candidate.
The Osun governorship election is consequently shaping up as more than a contest between political parties. It is also a test of whether established political networks can overcome internal differences, build a coherent electoral coalition and persuade voters that their preferred candidate offers the strongest pathway for the state’s future.
For now, the intervention led by Akande provides the APC with an opportunity to present a more united front. Whether that unity survives the pressures of electioneering—and whether it ultimately translates into votes—will be determined by the electorate when Osun goes to the polls on August 15.
Sources
- The PUNCH — Osun APC rift: Omisore camp lauds Akande’s intervention
- The Nation — Akande kicks off support for Oyetola with APC elders
- Daily Trust — How Omisore’s Defection Reignited ‘War’ in Osun APC
- The PUNCH — Omisore registers as APC member in Osun
- The PUNCH — Omisore confident of victory in Osun APC 2026 primary
- Osun Defender — Two Weeks After, APC Mum Over Omisore, Oyetola’s Abuja Peace Meeting
- Independent National Electoral Commission — Osun Governorship Election Information
- Independent National Electoral Commission — Upcoming Elections
- The PUNCH — APC inaugurates Osun campaign council
