APC defeat Adeleke: Opeyemi Bamidele says stronger party structures give the APC an edge as Osun voters prepare for Saturday’s governorship poll
Senate Leader and South-West Caucus Chairman Opeyemi Bamidele has said the All Progressives Congress is better positioned to defeat Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke in Saturday’s governorship election, pointing to stronger party cohesion and changes in the state’s political landscape.
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Bamidele made the assessment in a statement on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, as about 2.339 million registered voters across Osun’s 30 local government areas prepare to choose a governor for the next four years. The electorate is spread across 332 wards and 3,763 polling units, according to figures cited in Bamidele’s statement.
The senator argued that the APC had addressed some of the internal divisions that contributed to its defeat in the 2022 election, while the political coalition that helped Adeleke win four years ago had since weakened.
Bamidele said the situation was particularly different from 2022, when Adeleke defeated then-incumbent APC governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Adeleke won 403,371 votes against Oyetola’s 375,027, securing victory after leading in 17 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
The Senate Leader attributed part of the APC’s improved prospects to what he described as the disintegration of the Peoples Democratic Party structure that supported Adeleke’s 2022 victory.
He also pointed to Adeleke’s subsequent move to the Accord Party following a legal dispute over control of the PDP faction that had backed him.
Bamidele questioned whether Accord had developed enough political machinery in Osun to reproduce the electoral strength previously provided by the PDP.
For Bamidele, political organisation remains a crucial ingredient in a governorship contest.
He described political structure as a combination of grassroots influence, political capital and public confidence built over time, rather than something that can be created solely through incumbency.
The senator cited the movement of several politicians away from Adeleke’s camp as another indication of changing alliances.
Among those he named were Osun East Senator Francis Fadahunsi and House of Representatives members Omirin Olusanya, Wole Oke and Taofeek Ajilesoro.
Bamidele’s assessment is, however, a campaign position rather than an independent forecast of the election result.
The APC is seeking to reclaim a state it lost in 2022, while Adeleke is seeking another term as governor.
The senator also rejected suggestions that the APC could depend on federal influence to secure victory.
He pointed to President Bola Tinubu’s intervention over the restriction of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account as evidence, in his view, that the Federal Government had acted fairly towards the state.
Bamidele further cited Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to maintain professionalism before, during and after the election as evidence of a commitment to a peaceful and credible process.
The issue of federal influence has become part of the wider political debate ahead of the poll.
Governor Adeleke has urged supporters and state workers to mobilise voters and defend their ballots, while other political figures have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to protect the integrity of the process.
Bamidele, meanwhile, urged all candidates and political parties to respect the rules of the contest and avoid conduct capable of threatening peace in Osun.
“In the end, it is the people, not the federal government, that will determine who will govern them,” Bamidele said, urging political parties to concentrate on their manifestoes and allow voters to make the final decision.
His remarks come as the APC makes a final push to regain control of Osun, with the party’s campaign seeking to turn its organisational claims into votes across the state.
The 2026 contest is also a significant test for Adeleke, whose 2022 victory ended the APC’s control of the state but followed a fiercely contested election and subsequent legal battles over the result.
The Supreme Court ultimately upheld Adeleke’s position as the PDP’s authentic candidate after a separate challenge to his nomination.
With voting scheduled for Saturday, the competing claims of political strength, incumbency and grassroots support will now be tested at the ballot box.
For Bamidele, the APC is entering the final stretch with greater cohesion and a stronger structure than it had four years ago.
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Whether that advantage is enough to defeat Adeleke, however, will be decided by Osun voters.
