President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has summoned about 76 leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to an emergency meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing concerns over divisions within the party ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The late-night meeting, according to a report by Sunday PUNCH, was convened after an intelligence report allegedly presented by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, indicated that some APC leaders in Osun were unhappy with what they described as their exclusion from the affairs of the party and its ongoing campaign.
The development has heightened attention on the APC’s preparations to challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming poll.
Why Tinubu summoned the leaders
Sources who attended the meeting said Ribadu’s report warned that discontent among APC leaders could undermine the party’s chances at the election if it was not urgently addressed.
Following the report, Tinubu reportedly directed APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, to identify and coordinate leaders who felt sidelined.
The leaders were subsequently conveyed to Abuja, with chartered flights reportedly arranged from Ibadan for several of them, while some travelled from Lagos.
76 leaders air their grievances
One of the participants described the meeting as a “no-holds-barred” session where the leaders were given an opportunity to tell the President what they believed was wrong with the party in Osun.
Among the concerns raised was the alleged concentration of federal appointments from Osun among members of the political camp associated with former Osun State Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The leaders reportedly complained that many party stakeholders felt excluded from decision-making and that the structure of the party was not sufficiently inclusive.
According to one participant, the group also reviewed federal appointments involving Osun indigenes and expressed concern that many of the beneficiaries were associated with the Oyetola-led “IleriOluwa” camp.
Tinubu’s response
President Tinubu reportedly acknowledged the concerns but warned the leaders against allowing internal disagreements to damage the party’s electoral prospects.
He was quoted as telling the leaders that the party would ultimately suffer if APC lost the forthcoming governorship election.
Tinubu also reportedly reminded the leaders of the APC’s defeats in Osun in the 2022 governorship election and the 2023 presidential election.
According to a participant, the President referred to Oyetola’s previous electoral defeat despite the resources available to him and urged the stakeholders to put the party’s interest above individual disagreements.
‘There is room for everybody’
Another participant said some of the leaders expressed concern that, should APC win the governorship election, members outside the Oyetola camp might again be excluded from political appointments and opportunities.
The President reportedly sought to allay those fears, telling them that there would be sufficient opportunities at the Federal Government level to accommodate stakeholders from Osun.
His central message, according to the participants, was that the leaders should put their differences aside, unite and work towards delivering Osun to the APC.
Who attended the meeting?
Among those identified as participants were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Olubunmi Ete; former speakers of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mojeed Alabi, Adejare Bello and Wale Afolabi; former presidential aide Babajide Omoworare; Shuaib Oyedokun; Poju Odusola; and Bode Olanipekun.
APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru was also said to have attended and played a key role in coordinating the meeting.
The Osun APC Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Olabisi, confirmed that the meeting took place but declined to provide further details.
Why the meeting matters
The meeting underscores the seriousness of the internal challenges confronting the APC as it attempts to regain control of Osun State.
The party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, is seeking to defeat the incumbent administration and return the APC to power in the state.
For the APC, however, winning the election will require more than a strong candidate. The party must also maintain cohesion among its influential blocs, local government structures and grassroots stakeholders.
The intervention by Tinubu therefore appears aimed at preventing internal disagreements from becoming a major electoral liability.
With the August 15 election approaching, the effectiveness of the reconciliation efforts and whether the 76 leaders can translate their renewed commitment into grassroots mobilisation could prove crucial to the APC’s chances.
Source: Punch Newspaper, August 9, 2026. The newspaper reported that its account was based on multiple sources who attended the meeting; some details were not independently confirmed by the Presidency.