President Bola Tinubu on Friday, August 21, 2026, received Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting came days after Oyebamiji lost the Osun governorship election held on Saturday, August 16, 2026, to Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party.
Closed-Door Session and Press Interaction
Oyebamiji addressed journalists after the closed-door session with the president. The visit is being closely watched as the first significant political development within APC circles in Osun following the party's defeat at the polls.
Adeleke's win under the Accord Party banner marked a notable outcome in what had been a keenly contested election. The APC had hoped Oyebamiji's candidacy would return it to power in Osun, a state it previously held before Adeleke's rise.
APC's Next Steps in Osun
The outcome of the Osun governorship election has prompted discussion about the direction of the APC in the state. Some party supporters have already begun calling for internal change within the APC's Osun structure following the loss. Ọláńrewájú Ìdòwú, posting on X with the handle @aoidowu1309, wrote: "The time for Osun APC to have a new direction is now."
No further details about the content of the Tinubu-Oyebamiji meeting were immediately available beyond what Oyebamiji shared with the press at the Villa on Friday. The meeting underscores the president's engagement with party stakeholders after the electoral setback.
