Ismail Omipidan Questions Appointment of Governor Ademola Adeleke as Tinubu's Osun Campaign Coordinator
Appearing on Channels Television's Inside Sources, political analyst, veteran journalist, and former Chief Press Secretary to Ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, criticized the decision to publicly name Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as the State Coordinator for President Bola Tinubu's 2027 presidential campaign.
Omipidan argued that while political alliances and cross-party cooperation are common in Nigerian politics, openly placing an opposition governor at the helm of the ruling party’s local campaign structure undermines loyal All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the state.
Omipidan highlighted that the appointment has alienated grassroots party executive members, local government leaders, and core party loyalists across Osun State who feel sidelined.
He noted that while key figures such as Chief Bisi Akande and Senator Ajibola Basiru attended initial campaign meetings, the lack of broad reconciliation and strategic consultation with the main APC state structure risks fracturing the party's cohesive 400,000-vote base ahead of the 2027 general elections.
"If the governor had promised to deliver the state for the president, you do not really need to announce him publicly as the coordinator. The majority of the APC members in Osun already feel as if the president has thrown them under the bus." — Ismail Omipidan, Political Analyst
Deep-Dive Analysis
Key Issues Unpacked on Inside Sources
The conversation examined cross-party campaign appointments, internal APC factionalism, and local electoral dynamics:
- Precedents for Cross-Party Campaign Support: Omipidan contrasted the current appointment model with historical precedents, such as President Olusegun Obasanjo's 2003 understanding with Northern opposition governors and Ali Modu Sheriff’s 2007 presidential support in Borno State. In those cases, opposition figures supported incumbent presidents through informal alignments rather than taking direct public coordinator titles that disrupt local party hierarchies.
- Internal Friction Within Osun APC: The appointment followed lingering tensions from the 2022 Osun gubernatorial primary and general elections. Prominent APC stakeholders allege that key party chieftains engaged in internal calculations targeting the 2030 political horizon, leading to broken trust and uncoordinated party operations.
- Side-Stepping the Local APC Structure: Omipidan pointed out that major APC organs in Osun—including local government party chairmen, state executive council members, and former National Assembly lawmakers—were not properly consulted or carried along prior to Governor Adeleke's campaign inauguration meeting.
- Impact on 2027 Electoral Strategy: Despite the dissatisfaction among core party members, Omipidan noted that President Tinubu retains organic support within Osun APC. However, he warned that without a parallel, inclusive state campaign organization, core APC members may take a passive stance on election day, forcing the presidential ticket to rely entirely on Governor Adeleke’s external machinery.
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