Former governor of Osun state, Adegbeyoga Oyetola has announced his decision not to contest in the Osun state 2026 governorship election.
Vanguard Newspaper reports that former governor Oyetola who currently serves as the minister for Marine and Blue Economy in the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet, stated that the All Progressive Congress (APC) is better positioned to reclaim Osun state in 2026.
He said winning the governorship election is not negotiable as the state is pivotal to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027 while also declaring his disinterest in seeking the party’s 2026 governorship ticket.
He made the remark at a meeting of the Osun state APC executive council presided over by the chairman of the APC, Osun state chapter, Tajudeen Lawal.
Former governor Oyetola who did not give any specific reason for dropping his governorship ambition, warned that the party can not give chance to infighting due to the importance of the state to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.
He enjoined the governorship aspirants to conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure a rancor-free relationship between one another necessary for the party’s unity and internal cohesion.
Speaking about former governor Rauf Aregbesola led African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its coalition, Oyetola pointed out that the coalition poses no meaningful threat to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu reelection in 2027 as well as to APC in general.
Recall that former governor Adegbeyoga Oyetola was defeated in 2022 by the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke. Many had expected that Oyetola will make a return by seeking reelection in 2026 to rekindle his political rivalry with governor Adeleke; rivalry which began in 2018 when Oyetola defeated then senator Ademola Adeleke to emerge the governor of Osun state and Rauf Aregbesola’s successor.
In 2022, Ademola Adeleke through the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would get even with Oyetola leaving him with just a single tenure as a governor. He was thereafter, in 2023 appointed the minister for Marine and Blue Economy by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu following president Tinubu’s presidential victory.
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