The Osun State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party, on Wednesday, declared its readiness to welcome former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his supporters into the party as the race for the 2026 governorship election in the state gains momentum.
Aregbesola’s supporters in the Omoluabi Progressives had on Sunday announced their departure from the All Progressives Congress, citing maltreatment within the party.
Aregbesola commended the group for taking the step, as the group hinted at its willingness to join any political party that shares a progressive ideology, one that could make Osun a model state among Nigeria’s comity of states.
In a statement on Wednesday, Osun NNPP Chairman Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, welcomed the challenge of having Aregbesola and his supporters join the party.
He said, “Osun’s history will not be complete without a prominent mention of Aregbesola’s contributions. Nobody can say Ogbeni Aregbesola is a political liability in Osun. He is an asset, no doubt about it. Even his former political family knows the truth but is reluctant to admit it; otherwise, they wouldn’t be blaming him for their defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
“Having Aregbesola in Osun NNPP would undoubtedly boost the party’s chances in the 2027 general election. Our ideas align. We all desire to see the masses happy and living comfortably. Together, we can achieve this in Osun come 2026, and history will be kind to us all. With open arms, I invite Ogbeni Aregbesola and his group to join NNPP for a prosperous Osun.”
Meanwhile, the APC in Osun, on Wednesday, called on the public to disregard campaign posters of Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, announcing his interest in the 2026 governorship election.
The posters, which sought support for Oyetola in the 2026 elections, appeared in some parts of Osogbo, the state capital, on Monday.
The development fuelled speculation that the former governor may be interested in contesting for the APC ticket.
But in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Mr. Kola Olabisi, the APC distanced itself from the campaign posters, labelling them the handiwork of the opposition.
“We know where the promoters of these fake posters are coming from and their mission to unsettle the party and cause chaos, which has yet to be either resolved or mitigated,” Olabisi said.
“Our disappointment, as the leading opposition party in Osun State, is that the faceless promoters and their misguided allies lack both tact and diplomacy. It is like the proverbial witch that roared yesterday and the child who died on the same day. Who doesn’t know that it was the evil witch that killed the innocent child?”
The statement further clarified that the state leader of the party, who is the immediate past governor of Osun State, did not authorise the printing or posting of any campaign material for any political ambition.
“The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy did not instruct anyone to print or display any posters, whether for socio-political or economic purposes. The printing and posting of the posters are part of a propaganda strategy by the political detractors of Alhaji Oyetola. This attempt to unjustifiably tarnish his reputation in the eyes of our party members and supporters across Osun State has gone too far.”
“We are pleased that the metaphorical arrow shot by those seeking to sow division has missed its target. We expect more of these baseless stories from the disillusioned politicians who are deeply hurt by their expulsion from the progressive party,” the party said.
