ABUJA – Concerned leaders of the Osun State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the recently released list of the state’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), describing its composition as inconsistent with party guidelines, due process and the principle of inclusiveness.
The party officials, in an official statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola, alongside three other executive members, expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the exclusion of key stakeholders and statutory members of the State Working Committee from the campaign council.
They argued that the omission of recognised party officials raised serious concerns about consultation, respect for established party structures and the process adopted in constituting the council.
The officials, therefore, called for an immediate review of the list to ensure that all relevant stakeholders were accommodated.
They also questioned the emergence of what they described as a parallel campaign structure, noting that the latest arrangement appeared inconsistent with an earlier presidential directive reportedly appointing Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the state.
According to the statement, following the directive, Adeleke had inaugurated a broad-based campaign team to coordinate the presidential campaign across Osun State.
The signatories expressed concern over why another structure had emerged without adequate clarification or alignment with the existing arrangement.
They, however, suggested that the newly released list could be more understandable if it was intended for a Parliamentary Campaign Council rather than the Presidential Campaign Council, stressing the need for a clear distinction between the two structures to prevent confusion, duplication of responsibilities and internal friction.
The statement called for consultations involving relevant stakeholders, particularly the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, and the State Director-General, to resolve the disagreement and ensure effective coordination.
“The State Executive Committee remains an integral part of the APC’s organisational framework and cannot be sidelined in the constitution of a state-wide campaign council,” the officials stated.
They emphasised that a successful campaign must be built on mutual respect, proper coordination and the active involvement of legitimate party stakeholders.
While reaffirming their loyalty to the APC and commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, the officials warned that party loyalty should not prevent constructive engagement when decisions threaten to create avoidable divisions.
“Our position is clear: we need a campaign council that respects party structures, recognises legitimate leadership, accommodates critical stakeholders and unites all members towards electoral victory,” they added.
The signatories urged the party leadership at both state and national levels to address the concerns without delay, insisting that unity, discipline, strategic coordination and collective responsibility were essential to securing electoral victory.
Meanwhile, there are indications that parallel campaign group being led by former governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as Director-General, with the state party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, as Deputy Director-General has emerged.