One of the leading governorship aspirants in Osun State under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has refuted claims that he is seeking reconciliation with former governor Rauf Aregbesola to enhance his chances in the 2026 election.
Through the Senator Ajibola Basiru Campaign Organisation, the APC National Secretary described the report as false and malicious. A statement by the campaign’s spokesperson, Suleiman Ajala, dismissed the publication—which did not originate from The Guardian—as the product of “pure imagination.” The campaign further denied that Basiru had criticised President Bola Tinubu for recently hosting Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Presidential Villa.
Ajala said the coming 2026 governorship election has prompted a flurry of fabricated stories aimed at damaging Basiru’s credibility. “The most recent lies are the claims that he is courting Aregbesola for reconciliation and criticising President Tinubu over the visit of Adeleke and his family,” the statement read.
Adeleke’s Potential Defection Sparks Intra-Party Tension
Meanwhile, a youth faction within the Osun APC has raised alarm over Governor Adeleke’s growing closeness to the party’s leadership. The Osun Progressives Youth warned that a possible defection by the governor from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC would backfire politically.
The group, in a statement by its coordinator, Tunmise Ajiboye, warned that Adeleke’s entry into the APC would weaken party unity and erode public confidence, particularly because of longstanding political animosities. “Adeleke’s presence will only bring bad luck to the APC because he knows he will be bitterly defeated by our candidate in 2026,” Ajiboye stated.
Group Commends Tinubu-Adeleke Meeting
Contrastingly, a socio-political group, Osun Leaders of Thought, has applauded Governor Adeleke’s meeting with President Tinubu, calling it a sign of statesmanship and regional solidarity.
In a statement signed by the group’s Press Officer, Adekunle Adebayo, the leaders praised both Tinubu and Adeleke for putting politics aside for the sake of South-West unity. “It was a commendable act that showed political maturity and a willingness to collaborate across party lines,” the group noted.
The group also criticised some APC members for condemning the meeting, including former Speaker Timothy Owoeye, who had reportedly said “the Osun APC ticket is not for sale.” The Osun Leaders of Thought described the remark as “unnecessary and unprovoked,” urging party stakeholders to focus on unity rather than division.
