By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan It was a carnival like galore on Tuesday October 7, stands out to be one of the eventful days in Osogbo, the Osun
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
It was a carnival like galore on Tuesday October 7, stands out to be one of the eventful days in Osogbo, the Osun state capital as it witnessed a great carnival galore when a former Deputy Governor of Osun state and the immediate past National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore officially declared his intention to contest the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun state during a massive rally held at the Osun State Secretariat of the APC. A visit to Osogbo, the Osun State capital on that day as early as 6a.m, clearly showed that a major political activity is taking place in the town with the influx of vehicles
One needs not to be told that a major political activity is holding in Osogbo that day as all the roads leading to Osogbo, particularly the Osogbo – Gbongan road became so busy with vehicular and human movement especially into the area where the Osun state Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is located.
Hundreds of APC leaders, members and loyalists of Senator Omisore were seen heading to the APC state secretariat from Ede, Ejigbo, Iwo, Gbongan, Ikire, Apomu, Ikoyi, Ifon, Ilobu, Erin Osun, Ola Orangun, Iree, Otan, Ikirun , Ilesa, Ibokun, Ile Ife and from across other parts of Osun State for the official declaration of intention by the former deputy governor and a one time Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriation .
By 9a.m, the Osun state APC Secretariat becomes a beehive of activities and colorful as the party members both men and women as well as the youths dressed in T- shirts, Anka having Senator Omisore inscriptions rented the air in and across the Secretariat with praises of the APC governorship hopeful shouting “Omi o, Omi o” amidst dancing and jubilating around to express their joy and support for Senator Omisore ambition.
APC in Osun State as at present is having at 13 of its members aspiring to become the governor of Osun State come 2026 polls should the party wins the August 8 governorship election in the state. Among the 11 APC governorship hopeful is Senator Iyiola Omisore, whose names and political tentacles stands as an household in and across the state till date.
Senator Omisore, contested the 2014 governorship election in Osun on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2018 before later joining the APC to contest in the 2026 governorship election.
He has also served as deputy governor of Osun under the Alliance for Democracy,(AD) and later the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District of the state from 2003 to 2011.
Prior to the official declaration of his 2026 governorship intention, Senator Omisore held meetings , consultations with stakeholders , groups and opinion leaders in the APC such as the Women leaders , Special Advisers,Special Assistants from the three senatorial districts in the state, cross section of elected chairmen and councillors on the platform of APC, party and ward Chairmen from across the state.He also met with Youth leaders from across the state led by the State Youth Leader where he was adopted as their governorship candidate for the 2026 election. A motion to adopt Senator Iyiola Omisore as their candidate was moved by the State Youth Leaders and seconded by the State Deputy Youth leaders expressing confidence in Senator Omisore’s ability to represent the party’s interests as well as a strong and credible candidate who can hold his own against any opponent and compete favorably with Governor Adeleke, the incumbent Governor of the State, the PDP candidate in the 2026 governorship race.The motion was unanimously agreed upon by all the youth leaders present at the meeting.
Senator Omisore few days to his official declaration of intention in a post on his X handle hinted that the formal announcement of his 2026 Osun state governorship seat intention would take place on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Osun APC Secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, themed “Fix the Broken, Restore Our Dreams” and that his campaign would focus on restoring hope, strengthening governance, and delivering a brighter future for the people of the state, saying,”My beloved people of Osun State, after deep reflection and wide consultations,I have decided to formally declare my intention to contest for the Governor of Osun State in 2026 under our great party, the All Progressives Congress,” Omisore wrote.This is not just my mission, it is a collective one. I humbly invite you to join me as we take this bold step towards the Osun Rescue Mission 2026″.
Coordinator of Omisore Movement, Hon Ajibola Famurewa at the declaration of intention said “people here today are members of the APC from all the wards across the State. These are the people that asked Omisore to come out and vie for the ticket of the party. We are sure that with their support, Omisore will emerge as the party’s candidate.
Senator Omisore while speaking at the official declaration of intention minced no word in expressing his readiness to give Osun state the needed leadership for the state to move forward and maintain its rightful position in the comity of states in Nigeria, saying,he would rescue Osun state from stagnation, Nepotism , hypocrisy if elected as Osun Governor and that with his political “Theme” tittle “Osun Rescue Mission 2026″, he is culturally, politically, intellectually and firmly rooted to face the reality of governance for the development of the state, adding, ” I know the right paths to take in order to move Osun State forward in all ramifications.”
” Osun is our home, our heart, I’m here to work with you, for schools that lift our children, roads that don’t betray us, markets that thrive, and jobs that give our youth a reason to stay.This isn’t my journey alone, it’s ours. Let’s build the Osun we love.Today wasn’t just a declaration; it was a celebration of unity, a moment that showed what Osun’s people can do when they come together. With Iyiola Omisore leading the way, the road to 2026 feels like a shared path toward a stronger, prouder Osun,a home where every hope matters”.
Senator Omisore stressed, ” The people here today are members of the APC from all the wards across the State. These are the people that asked Omisore to come out and vie for the ticket of the party. Governance is a serious business and as a former deputy governor I have the most experienced among other good aspirants of the party to fly the ticket and deliver victory come next year”.
” I am expecting Osun State people to vote for APC en masse come August 8, 2026. This is to show preparedness of the core APC members in the state, to show how ready we are to ensure that I become the party candidate by God’s grace in December, and to further strengthen the belief of the people in the coming APC government in Osun State.”
Chairman of the Party Chairmen Forum, Hon Rufus Awotidoye said Senator Omisore’s decision to work with the Forum stands as an outright attempt that will give responsibility to them unlike the old practice and tradition, adding that
the involvement in the aspiration to return the party to power in Osun State has given the hope that they would not be trampled upon when eventually the party is returned to power.
While passing a vote of confidence in Senator Omisore the chairman of the forum of ward Chairmen, Hon Ojeleye Emmanuel lamented what he called the neglect of the past that has always placed other lower categories in the party over them, promising that his colleagues will work assiduously for the emergence of the Senator Omisore as the party’s flag bearer come the November 2025 party’s primaries.
The Omisore Media Team on its part emphasized “Governorship is not a consolation prize or a platform for beginners to test their popularity.It is the most demanding and sensitive office in any state and requires maturity, capacity, and deep administrative experience. Osun State cannot afford to hand over leadership to someone simply because they feel it’s their turn, or because they want to “try their luck” in a bigger office. People should understand that governorship is not for political experiments it is actually for proven leaders if we genuinely want development”.
According to the Media Team,” The challenges facing Osun today are not small.The state needs someone who understands policy, budgeting, governance structure, and how to manage people and resources effectively”, adding, “We don’t need another person who will spend the first two years learning on the job while the state suffers. We’ve seen what unprepared leadership can do as delayed projects, confused priorities, and poor governance outcomes. Osun cannot go backwards”.
” Leadership is not about ambition, it is about readiness. Osun needs someone who has stood the test of time, who has navigated the complexities of government, and who has delivered results at a meaningful level, the person is no other than the 3-Star general, Distinguished Senator Iyiola Omisore. Let the truth be said clearly: Osun is not a training ground. Governorship is not an appointment handed out to reward political allies. It is a full-time, high-pressure, development-driven role. The people deserve better than an experiment. We deserve a leader with the strength, the structure, and the experience to move Osun forward and not someone who just wants to “try” the position. The future of this state is too important to gamble with. Support the best, support Otunba Iyiola Omisore as Governor, Osun-State”.
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