Tinubu Summons 76 Osun APC Leaders Ahead of Governorship Election

President Bola Tinubu has summoned about 76 leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to the Presidential Villa in Abuja in an effort to resolve internal disagreements ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The emergency meeting, held late at night, reportedly followed an intelligence report presented to the President by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

According to sources who attended the meeting, Ribadu informed Tinubu that several APC leaders in Osun were unhappy over what they described as being sidelined in the affairs of the party, including the ongoing governorship campaign.

The President subsequently urged the party leaders to put aside their differences, unite and work towards the victory of the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

The APC leaders were reportedly flown to Abuja on chartered flights from Ibadan, while some travelled from Lagos. Among those said to have attended were former House of Representatives Speaker, Olubunmi Ete; former Osun State House of Assembly speakers Mojeed Alabi, Adejare Bello and Wale Afolabi; former presidential aide Babajide Omoworare; and other prominent party leaders.

Sources said APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, coordinated the meeting after receiving instructions from the Presidency.

One of the attendees said the meeting provided an opportunity for the aggrieved leaders to openly express their concerns about the management of the party in Osun State.

According to the source, the leaders complained to Tinubu that federal appointments from Osun had largely gone to members of the political camp loyal to former Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

The leaders reportedly told the President that many APC members felt excluded from the party's decision-making process.

Tinubu was said to have acknowledged their concerns while warning that internal divisions could cost the APC victory in the forthcoming election.

The President also reportedly expressed disappointment over the party's losses in previous elections in Osun and urged the leaders to work together for the party's success.

Another source said Tinubu assured the leaders that there would be opportunities for members of the party at the federal level, urging them to unite and deliver Osun State to the APC.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the Osun APC, Kola Olabisi, confirmed that the meeting took place but declined to provide further details.

Accord Party Accuses APC of Harbouring Election Hackers

Meanwhile, the Accord Party in Osun State has accused the APC of allegedly bringing election hackers into Osogbo ahead of the governorship election.

The party claimed that the alleged hackers were brought from Lagos and Abuja and were operating from a hotel in the state capital.

The Accord Party alleged that their objective was to compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission's electronic systems and manipulate election results.

The party's state chairman, Victor Akande, called on security agencies to investigate the allegation and urged INEC to strengthen its digital security ahead of the election.

However, the Osun APC rejected the allegation, describing it as false and baseless.

APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi said the party had no reason to rig the election because it was confident of winning through legitimate means.

He accused the Accord Party of making the allegation out of fear of defeat and challenged anyone with evidence of electoral malpractice to report the matter to the appropriate security agencies.

The controversy comes as political parties intensify their campaigns and mobilisation efforts ahead of the August 15 Osun governorship election.