Chief Bola Oyebamiji, a leading governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, has stated he is ready to collaborate with Senator Iyiola Omisore and other party leaders to unseat Governor Ademola Adeleke in the 2026 elections.

Oyebamiji made the remarks after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Monday.

He emphasized that the party must present a united front to reclaim the state.

“All 14 aspirants share a collective responsibility to rally behind whoever eventually secures the party ticket,” he said, adding that the contest is friendly and based on respect for senior figures like Omisore.

“We are brothers, and unity is our strength in the APC. In two years, we have not lost a single member; over a million have joined us. That shows APC is the party to beat. After the primary, we will sit down together and work as one to rescue Osun.”

Oyebamiji, who previously served as Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), highlighted his extensive administrative and professional experience.

With 28 years in banking, followed by leadership roles in public service, including MD of Osun State Trade and Investment, Commissioner for Finance, and NIWA boss, he stressed that his track record demonstrates his ability to deliver results.

“I worked in banking for 28 years, you must be profitable, know your onions, and deliver results. I resigned to join public service, and everywhere I served, I left without blemish,” he said.

“My experience gives me the courage to succeed anywhere I step. That is why I believe I am the candidate to beat.”

Addressing speculation about political backers, Oyebamiji insisted that his support comes from party members and ordinary Osun residents, crediting divine guidance for his political journey:

“Nobody is backing me except the Almighty God and the credible people of Osun. They are the ones urging me on.”

He described Osun as a state rich in untapped human and natural resources, calling for a disciplined, analytical, and integrity-driven leadership.

Oyebamiji urged party delegates to focus on aspirants’ records rather than empty rhetoric and pledged transparent, results-driven governance, emphasizing infrastructure development, opportunity expansion, and restoration of government credibility.

Chief Rich Enuenwosu, a key figure in the movement for the creation of Anioma State, has called on the people of Delta North to remain calm, saying recent statements by some local legislators and council chairmen should not cause alarm.

The statements from Delta North leaders suggested that any future Anioma State must remain within the South-South geopolitical zone.

However, Enuenwosu argued that Delta North has closer historical and geographical ties with the South-East than with the deeper parts of the South-South.

“The recent press release attributed to Delta North legislators and local government chairmen presents positions that require calm and careful analysis,” Enuenwosu said on Monday.

“State creation is a constitutional and multi-layered process. Clarity is essential, and public discussion should be guided by facts rather than alarmist interpretations.”

He noted that while the legislators’ statement acknowledged the historical roots of the Anioma movement, it prematurely limited the discussion to nine Local Government Areas of Delta North and insisted on strict placement within the South-South zone.

Enuenwosu explained:

Historical ties: Anioma identity involves linguistic, cultural, and ancestral connections that extend beyond South-South boundaries.

Geographical links: Delta North shares closer contiguity with the South-East than with deeper South-South areas.

Administrative factors: The region’s placement in the South-South stems from past boundary arrangements (1963 and 1996), not an unchangeable identity.

He emphasized that state creation is a national process, requiring broad consensus, not the opinion of a few legislators or local council leaders.

“The Nigerian Constitution requires approval from two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly, two-thirds of National Assembly members, backing across all LGAs in the affected area, a national referendum, and presidential assent. The recent statements may overstate the influence of their signatories,” he said.

Enuenwosu urged the public to approach the Anioma state debate with measured attention and patience, stressing that one group’s view does not dictate the outcome of the constitutionally mandated process.

Fresh confusion has engulfed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the state chapter issued conflicting directives regarding the governorship primary scheduled for Tuesday, December 2.

Although Governor Ademola Adeleke is the only aspirant cleared for the primary, developments on Monday indicated he may no longer be interested in pursuing the party’s ticket ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

The crisis deepened when the Tanimu Turaki-led NWC insisted that the primary would proceed as planned.

In a statement issued by the National Organising Secretary of the Turaki faction, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, the national leadership urged members to turn out for the primary at Atlantis Multipurpose Hall, Ring Road, Osogbo, beginning at 10 am.

The statement noted that the party had already notified INEC of its primary schedule on October 28 and successfully conducted congresses to elect ad hoc and national delegates on November 24 and 29, 2025.

However, in direct contradiction, the Osun PDP chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, announced that the primaries had been postponed due to the unresolved leadership crisis at the national level.

Bisi warned that the deepening internal conflict, marked by suspensions of key NWC members and multiple court cases, had hindered the conduct of the crucial ward and local government congresses that should have produced delegates for the primary.

According to him:

“Due to unresolved disputes within the national leadership, information available suggests that Governor Adeleke may withdraw from seeking the PDP nomination unless a resolution recognised by INEC is reached within the appropriate electoral timeframe.”

He added that the worsening national leadership tussle made it “inevitable” that the primary could not go ahead as scheduled.

Despite the turmoil, Bisi stressed that Governor Adeleke had followed all required procedures.

He purchased and submitted nomination forms between October 13 and 25, appeared before the Screening Committee on October 30, and received a Certificate of Clearance before the dispute escalated.

Adeleke remains the only aspirant who completed all official steps.

The confusion comes amid growing speculation that the governor may have already concluded plans to defect to another political platform to actualise his second-term bid, with sources linking him to several parties, including the Accord Party.

The PDP is presently split between two national factions, one led by Tanimu Turaki, and another by Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, an ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, a division now threatening the stability of the Osun governorship race.

Former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has declined to appear before a State House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee investigating the funding and ownership of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) and the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Obaseki, who was scheduled to testify on Thursday, cited that the matter is already before the courts.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, he described the Assembly’s invitation as “offensive and laughable,” arguing that it was inappropriate to summon him on an issue pending judicial determination.

“It is sub judice for the former governor to appear before the Edo Assembly on a matter already in court. Why subject him to another round of questioning on the same issues?” Osagie said.

The panel was established following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo to probe the extent of state government investment in the museum and the hotel, as well as their ownership.

Other individuals invited to testify include former Edo Finance Commissioner Joseph Eboigbe, former Attorney-General Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, and several managing directors of investment and hospitality firms involved in the projects.

Management of MOWAA has also refused to appear, with the museum’s lawyer, Olayiwola Afolabi, stressing that while the Assembly can make recommendations, the courts hold the final authority on the matter.

The museum had been thrust into controversy following a preview exhibition on November 9, which ended in chaos when protesters claiming ownership by the Oba of Benin stormed the venue.

The disruption forced the event, intended for investors, artists, and foreign dignitaries, to shut down abruptly.

Videos later circulated online showing diplomats, including representatives from the European Union and Germany, being evacuated under heavy security.

The incident has intensified scrutiny over the governance and ownership of MOWAA and associated projects, highlighting the legal and political complexities surrounding high-profile cultural investments in Edo State.

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as political parties begin preparations for the 2026 gubernatorial primaries.

The move comes less than 12 hours after the Osun State PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, indicated that Adeleke would not seek the party’s re-election ticket amid ongoing national leadership disputes within the party.

A copy of Adeleke’s resignation letter, obtained by DAILY GAZETTE, was addressed to the PDP Chairman of Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, in Ede, Osun State, and is dated November 4, 2025.

In the letter, titled “Resignation of my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)”, Adeleke cited the ongoing crisis in the party’s national leadership as the reason for his decision:

“Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (representing Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the PDP.”

Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has officially resigned from his position as Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, effective immediately.

The resignation letter, sent to President Tinubu, was confirmed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Monday.

According to Onanuga, Abubakar stepped down due to health concerns.