OSOGBO, Osun State — Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has inaugurated a 344-member presidential campaign council to coordinate efforts in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, but former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, was absent from the ceremony.
The inauguration took place on Thursday, October 22, 2026, in Osogbo, bringing together political figures from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party under a broad campaign structure for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
Adeleke, who serves as the council’s Osun State coordinator, is expected to lead mobilisation efforts across the state ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The council’s membership list included prominent political figures such as former Osun governor Bisi Akande, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, former deputy governor Iyiola Omisore and other serving and former political officeholders.
However, Oyetola, who served as Osun governor from 2018 to 2022 and is regarded as a prominent APC leader in the state, did not attend the inauguration. The APC’s 2026 governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and some party officials associated with Oyetola were also absent.
Their absence came amid questions over consultation and the process through which the council was constituted.
Before the inauguration, Osun APC chairman Tajudeen Lawal said the party had not been adequately consulted before the council’s membership was announced. He maintained that although the party supported Tinubu’s re-election, the campaign structure should be organised through proper consultation with party leaders.
The disagreement followed the announcement of Adeleke’s appointment as Osun coordinator for Tinubu’s presidential campaign. The governor belongs to the Accord Party, while Tinubu is the APC’s presidential candidate.
Adeleke has publicly expressed support for Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the President should be given more time to continue his administration’s reforms and projects.
The inclusion of politicians from different parties in the Osun campaign council has drawn attention because of the unusual cross-party arrangement. However, the absence of some prominent APC figures has also highlighted the need for coordination among political leaders involved in the campaign.
Neither Oyetola’s absence nor the non-attendance of other party figures, by itself, establishes their reasons for staying away. No direct explanation from Oyetola regarding his absence was confirmed in the reports reviewed.
The inauguration marks a further step in preparations for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in Osun, where the council is expected to coordinate political mobilisation and outreach ahead of the election.
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