- Basiru dismisses alleged rift with Oyetola, Omisore
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Ajibola Basiru has declared that the party would take over reigns from the People’s Democratic Party in 2026.
Similarly, the former spokesperson of the Nigerian Senate said the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States would be a walk in the park for its candidates, noting that APC would defeat other political parties that may contest the seats.
The scribe of the APC National Working Committee also accused the ruling PDP in Osun State of misgovernance and asked Governor Ademola Adeleke to start preparing his handover notes ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Addressing journalists on the state of the nation in Osogbo, Basiru explained that the party already had the advantage of incumbency in Ondo and that coupled with the performance of the present administration, the party would retain reigns of governance.
While describing the People’s Democratic Party as a “dying political party”, the scribe of the governing party said the September 21 governorship election in Edo would favour APC because it is already gaining ground in the state.
He said, “What is evolving in Edo State… our gubernatorial candidate in Edo State was a PDP member but he came to our party and for the first time, our party won senatorial seats in the same senatorial district that Tony Anenih came from and in the last National Assembly election, our party won two of the three senatorial seats. The third senatorial seat was won up by the Labour Party and shows that our party is a party to beat in Edo State.
“We are confident that we are going to send Godwin Obaseki and his tea drinking politicians out of Government House by the grace of God in the September 21 election.”
Expressing similar opinion, Basiru stated that, “Ondo State is a one party state, it is a state of our party. So, the struggle is actually about getting the APC ticket. The moment we get the APC ticket, we are home and this is not a boastful venture, go and check the House of Assembly result, check National Assembly election results, check House of Representatives election results and just like we did with Edo State, we are going to manage whatever crisis that will come out of the selection process in a very mature and cordial manner.
“And to this, we must give kudos to the leadership role being played by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in giving moral authority to ensure that whatever crisis brew up within the party, he tries to nip in the bud.”
He added, “People thought we were already in for Armageddon in Edo State but within a week, we were able to resolve the matter amicably. For me, PDP is a dying political party in Nigeria.”
Basiru dismissed his speculated rift between himself, former governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola and former National Secretary of APC, Iyiola Omisore as a beer parlour gossip that deserves no serious attention.
He said, “The truth is this, some of those stories you are saying, they are being concocted by the rudderless propaganda machineries of the Adeleke government, they are jobless and the stories does not gel. You know when you even talk of story, you must talk of story that have reasonability.
“I am the National Secretary of the party, Governor Gboyega Oyetola former Governor is the Minister, we have more serious business to do than to reduce ourselves to the level of inanities. Then secondly, what is the issue they are talking about? They are talking about the 2026 gubernatorial election. Has expression of interest come out? Has the form been issued out?,” he inquired.
Basiru said, “I don’t have any problem with the former governor (Oyetola). The truth is this, our party is a party of leadership. As of today, there are two former governors in our party – Baba Bisi Akande that I celebrated Salah with and Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega, both of them are my leaders. You can’t say I am fighting my leaders. I don’t have any problem with anybody; even some of them are saying Senator Omisore is teaming up with some people like that… the Director of Administration, Professor Alaba Adediwura that is heading administration of the party was put in place by Senator Omisore before I assumed office. I did not sack him, he is still the Head of Administration. So, if I have a problem with Senator Omisore; Will I be able to do so?
“Yet, some people in their beer parlour and pepper soup joint, they are saying that Basiru has problem with Oyetola, Omisore is plotting on how to remove him.
“For me, it is idle work because they (PDP) are not serious about the government, they are busy destroying roads all over the place without any programme about project implementation. If they are already afraid of our party in 2026, let them wait till expression of interest form will come out, till the nomination process will come out before you know who is contesting and who is not contesting in the election but they would say “I will not step down.” When did I say that?
Is it in the agreed or where are they talking about that? Is it somebody who already collected form that will be talking of stepping down or not stepping down in the election?
“The President in his own wisdom gave us our responsibility, he decided to appoint Governor Isiaka Oyetola as Minister of one of the most strategic Ministries in government, Marine and Blue Economy.
“On his own volition, he decided that the leadership of the party would make me the National Secretary of the party, so I will leave my job as National Secretary, then, it is about 2026 election that I will be concerned about but the truth is this, we are repositioning our party in Osun and by the grace of God, we are going to kick out those in country home in Ede because they are not staying in Government House in Osun. We are going to kick them out in 2026 by the grace of Almighty God.”
