Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

A group within Osun State All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged the party leadership to jettison zoning its governorship ticket in favour of an open contest among interested aspirants.

The group also vowed to mobilise over 100,000 thousand fresh voters for the party in a bid to wrestle power from the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration.

Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo on Monday, the group, Osun Progressives Independent Forum, OPIF, Satiregun Olayiwola, disclosed that the party has a better chance of sending PDP back to playing oppostion if it did not any impose candidate on the people.

His words, “The future of APC and Osun State depends on selecting a candidate based on merit, not sentiments. It is imperative that our party evaluates potential candidates against clear criteria, including antecedents, experience, electoral viability, courage, and demographic appeal. Advocating for a particular zone, region, or senatorial district should be discarded to avoid repeating what befell our party in 2018/2022. This division resulted in some loyalists leaving the party, leading to a rerun in an election we could have easily won. The consequences of this were felt in the 2022 governorship election.

“What APC needed to win in 2026 is a candidate with proven track records in leadership, vast experience in governance, and the ability to connect with a wide array of voter groups. The will to bell the cat on critical Osun issues and the vision to lead the state toward sustainable development are also paramount. This process should be all-inclusive, transparent, and without favour or pressure from any quarters”.

Speaking ahead of continuous voter registration in the State, Satiregun said the group has embarked on grassroots enlightenment towards capturing 100,000 fresh voters for the party.

“We are already mobilizing virgin voters for the party, we will ensure that these sets of voters register with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, when it start voter registration in the state. Our target across the 30 local government and the area office is over 100,000 fresh voters”, he added.