The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday formally presented the Certificate of Return to its Osun State governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial election.
Presenting the certificate, the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, said Oyebamiji emerged through a rare consensus arrangement, describing the process as a demonstration of unity and maturity within the party.
“Just to inform the world, we have just minted a brand new candidate for the Osun governorship election,” Yilwatda said. “It was by consensus, which is unique compared to what happens in other political parties, where candidates often engage in divisive contests. Here, nine aspirants came together and agreed on one among them to represent the party.”
According to him, the consensus reflects the strong relationship among the aspirants and confidence in Oyebamiji’s ability to carry everyone along, not only during the campaign but also in governance.
“We are proud to announce that Bola Oyebamiji is the sole candidate of the APC for the 2026 Osun governorship election. By this certificate of return handed to him today, he is officially our flagbearer,” the party chairman said.
Yilwatda assured that the APC would mobilise all its resources to reclaim Osun State, vowing that the party would stand “neck to neck and leg to leg” with the people of the state until election day.
“We are not just aiming to win; we want to win convincingly, beyond any reasonable doubt,” he added, noting that the party had already begun full-scale mobilisation to ensure victory in August 2026.
In his acceptance remarks, Oyebamiji expressed gratitude to the party leadership and pledged to deliver purposeful governance to Osun State.
“I am honoured and glad to receive this certificate of return,” he said. “Osun people are ready for the APC to take over from what I describe as a dancing government. Governance is serious business, and Osun is endowed with immense human and material resources that require serious management.”
Describing himself as a capable manager, Oyebamiji said his emergence marked the beginning of a renewed drive to harness the state’s assets for development.
“Now that I have this mandate, we will carry it forward. Come 2026 and 2027, we will deliver Osun State and also deliver victory for the President,” he declared.
