The Imole Campaign Council (TICC), the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, has dismissed the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s plan to deploy governors, lawmakers and other political leaders for its campaign ahead of the 15 August governorship election.

The council said the APC’s strategy reflected what it described as an exaggerated assessment of the influence of political office holders in determining the outcome of the poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the Osun governorship election for Saturday, 15 August. The poll is an off-cycle election, separate from the 2027 general elections.

The latest exchange comes as the APC intensifies its preparations for the election, which the ruling party has described as an important test of its political machinery ahead of the 2027 elections.

| | |
|---|

While inaugurating the APC Campaign Council on Tuesday in Abuja, the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, said the party would deploy its governors, National Assembly members, local government chairmen and other political figures to help the party secure victory in Osun State.

But TICC rejected the strategy, arguing that the number of political office-holders a party can mobilise does not automatically translate into electoral support.

In a statement signed by its Chairman of Media and Publicity Committee, Bamidele Salam, the council said the APC should focus on convincing Osun voters rather than relying on political leaders from outside the state.

The council also criticised Mr Yilwatda’s reported “trailer versus Keke Napep” analogy, describing it as evidence of what it called political arrogance and a failure to appreciate the dynamics of Osun politics.

According to the campaign council, the election would ultimately be determined by voters, not by the number of governors, lawmakers, or other political officeholders a party could assemble.

“The people of Osun State are not waiting for political heavyweights from outside the state to decide their future; the electorate is capable of making their own independent choice based on the performance of the government in power,” the statement said.

The council said Osun voters should not be treated as political “cargo” that could be moved around by politicians from outside the state.

It added that the election would not be a contest between the political structures of the two parties but between the candidates and their records, programmes and ability to secure the confidence of voters.

“The August 15 election will not be a contest between a trailer and a Keke Napep. It will be a contest between a performing Governor who has earned the confidence of his people and an APC candidate who is struggling to gain acceptance among the electorate,” it said.

TICC highlights Adeleke’s record

The campaign council said Mr Adeleke had built significant goodwill among Osun residents through what it described as visible achievements since assuming office.

It listed road construction and rehabilitation, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare, water supply, agriculture and youth empowerment among areas where it said the administration had recorded achievements.

The council argued that the governor’s record would be more important to voters than the political figures the APC is deploying in its campaign.

It also questioned the APC’s decision to rely heavily on political leaders to mobilise support for its governorship candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji.

The council described Mr Oyebamiji as weak and unpopular, while arguing that the APC’s reliance on senior political figures demonstrated the candidate’s alleged inability to mobilise sufficient support independently.

“Rather than boasting about the number of governors and National Assembly members being deployed to Osun, the APC should tell the people what its candidate has to offer. The people are interested in issues, performance and credible leadership, not political metaphors,” the statement said.

APC, Adeleke camps intensify mobilisation

The latest statement adds to the increasingly competitive political atmosphere ahead of the August poll.

The TICC has in recent weeks stepped up its campaign activities and expanded its political structure. In July, Mr Adeleke approved the reconstitution of the council to accommodate prominent former APC members who had moved to the Accord Party.

The council said the move was intended to integrate the new entrants into its campaign and mobilisation efforts.

Its position comes less than three weeks before the election, with both the APC and the Adeleke camp intensifying grassroots mobilisation across the state.

With the election date now firmly set for 15 August, the contest is expected to remain focused on the competing records of the incumbent administration, the APC’s promise of an alternative government and the ability of both parties to translate their political structures into votes on election day.