The race for 2026 governorship is gathering momentum in Osun State as aspirants for the top political office in the state are beginning to come out of their political interest to contest, the Director-General of Tinubu-Shettima Ambassadors (TSA), Prince Oyelude Oladele, has said time is not ripe for the All Progressives Congress APC, in Osun State to zone governorship ticket to Osun West.
Oyelude will easily produce a state governor from Osun West when the party have a sitting governor from another senatorial district in the state.
Prince Oyelude Oladele also said that the 2018 governorship election was the right time for Osun West senatorial District to produce governor, but the interest of the progressive leaders override the interest of Osun West as at that time.
Oyelude added that, zoning arrangement shouldn’t be the priority of an opposition party that’s thirsty to dethrone a sitting government, advise the progressive leaders in Osun State to consider certain factors such as internal and external oppositions, senatorial district of the seating governor and the interest of the citizens in other senatorial district before zoning considerations.
“Before the 2023 presidential election, well meaning Nigerians believes that the major opposition party, PDP will consider their presidential candidate from the most deprived ethnic group (South East) in the southern region of Nigeria, believing that Buhari is from the Northern region. Unfortunately, the PDP considered their presidential candidate from the same northern region because of the huge northern votes without considering the agitations of the south easterners. That’s a testament that an opposition party that’s thirsty to dethrone a seating government shouldn’t consider zoning as her priority.
“In addition, after the APC victory in the 2018 governorship election, I was very joyous with the hope that, the then governor Adegboyega Oyetola will install his successor in year 2026 after 8yrs reign from Osun West, unknown to me that we will lost the governorship election in the year 2022. APC defeat during the 2022 election by Governor Ademola Adeleke from Osun West must have affected the calculation of every genuine progressive member in the state.
“The 2022 governorship election is different from the forthcoming 2026 governorship election because the sitting governor in 2022 was an APC governor compared with the forthcoming 2026 governorship election where the seating governor is a PDP governor. It’s easier for a sitting governor to conduct his re-election than to conduct an election of handing over to a successor by an outgoing governor. Perfect calculation must be made before APC zoning decision.
“Also, the PDP and Omoluabi Progressives are both internal and external oppositions, whether we like it or not, the Omoluabi progressives became opposition since the day they officially declare their exit from the APC, hence they remain internal opposition because they were all previously members of the APC. It’s very obvious, the Omoluabi Progressives are mostly domiciled in the Osun West Senatorial District of Osun State and they are going to secure their highest votes from same district and most likely, their governorship candidate may come from same district.
“Obviously, third forces hardly made headway in Nigeria presidential and governorship election, and every gladiators are fully aware. The third party always plays a rescue and a destructive politics in any presidential or governorship election in Nigeria politics. A case study was the Labour Party votes during the 2023 presidential election which could’ve been a plus to the major opposition party, the PDP, but unfortunately subtracted her votes thereby given the ruling party, APC an edge for victory. Care must be taken before the APC will zone her governorship election ticket to Osun West senatorial district.
“Also, before zoning consideration in any governorship election, the sensitivity of the citizen of other senatorial districts must be considered. The sitting governor is from Osun West, the same district that’s currently agitating for the APC governorship ticket. I must be sincere, many gladiators in Osun East and Osun Central may wish to support the seating governor to complete his remaining 4years than supporting a new candidate from same district of the sitting governor who will surely wish to lead for complete 8yrs, thereby delay their own share of the top political office in the state.
“Now that the sitting governor is from Osun West senatorial district, Osun East and Osun Central will be very happy if the major opposition party in Osun state consider either of the district, bulk vote that will neutralise the PDP votes and the votes of other opposition parties will come from either of those districts. We all know that major federal constituencies in Osun State that determine election victory with bulk votes in osun state are; Ilesha federal constituency, Ife federal constituency, Iwo federal constituency, Osogbo federal constituency and Ede federal constituency.
“Ilesha federal constituency has produced governor in the state while Ede federal constituency is currently on the throne. Ife, Osogbo, and Iwo federal constituencies are the three major constituencies that are hopeful for governor with bulk votes to win. Our progressive leaders must be progressively calculative before zoning should be made.”
Oyelude advised progressive leaders in Osun West Senatorial District to be cautious in their call and sponsored agitations for zoning.
“We all know that Osun West is the rightful district that ought to produce the next governor, but our leaders must be cautious in their agitation for zoning for they not secure the ticket at the wrong time. The PDP can also sponsor anonymous pressure group, agitating for APC to zone her governorship ticket to osun west senatorial district to ease their campaign and election by telling other districts that they are the next in 2030, Oyelude added.”
