The internal crisis consuming the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has dramatically escalated, with the state’s House of Representatives Caucus formally issuing a resolution rejecting the likely format and delegate selection process for the party’s next governorship primary.
The decision, made public today, exposes a deep rift within the party structure, with federal lawmakers accusing the state-level leadership of attempting to manipulate the delegate list and skew the primary process in favour of a preferred aspirant.
The rejection by the federal lawmakers is rooted in a fundamental distrust of the processes being laid out by the faction loyal to the immediate past governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
The caucus, led by a prominent Osun federal legislator, reportedly rejected a recently compiled list of proposed ad-hoc delegates, arguing it was unilaterally selected without consultation and designed to exclude aspirants outside the immediate power structure.
The Reps caucus claimed the party had failed to create a “level playing field,” warning that a non-transparent primary would only lead to a re-run of the divisive internal battles that ultimately contributed to the party’s loss in the 2022 governorship election.
The lawmakers stressed that the APC, currently in opposition in Osun State, cannot afford another fractured process and demanded the institution of a neutral and transparent primary committee that respects all major stakeholders.
The state chapter of the APC, in a swift counter-reaction, dismissed the caucus’s rejection as premature and an act of “political grandstanding.”
The State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Owoeye, stated that the concerns were “baseless” as the party’s national headquarters had not even released the final guidelines or delegate templates for the upcoming primary election.
Owoeye urged the federal lawmakers to focus on their legislative duties and support the party’s rebuilding efforts at the state level, rather than engaging in preemptive attacks against a process that is yet to be fully established.
This pre-emptive rejection, though focused on a future primary, is directly related to the high-stakes political cycle leading up to the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.
The caucus is clearly attempting to establish a stake and influence the process before the rules are finalized. Their action signals that the APC in Osun remains dangerously divided, failing to reconcile the factions that led to the loss of power.
For the party to successfully challenge the incumbent PDP in 2026, it must urgently resolve this internal warfare over candidate selection and delegate control.
