Coalition Makes Case For Osogbo Indigene As Osun Governor

A coalition of youth and women groups from Osogbo has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prioritise aspirants from the town as their flagbearer in the next election.

At a press briefing held in Osogbo City Hall, Olonkoro, a legal practitioner, Abdulrahman Okunade, on behalf of the Coalition of Osogbo Youth and Women Groups, cited Osogbo’s electoral strength and long-standing marginalisation in state leadership as reasons for the demand.

He argued that fielding an Osogbo-born candidate would significantly boost the APC’s chances in the forthcoming governorship election and correct historical imbalances in the distribution of political power.

The briefing, which drew community leaders, youth groups and representatives of civic organisations, underscored Osogbo’s central role in Osun politics.

“Our demand is simple: Osogbo deserves to be considered for the governorship ticket, and the reasons extend beyond sentiment,” the coalition said.

They also explained why their appeal is directed explicitly at the APC, saying that the two leading political parties in the state, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have already aligned their governorship tickets with the West Senatorial District.

They contended that only the APC is still screening its aspirants, adding that with the stepping down from the race by Senator Ajibola Basiru, the APC’s National Secretary and an Osogbo indigene, the coalition spotlighted the two remaining aspirants from the town: Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (K-RAD), a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor Rafiu Durodoye, a U.S.-based mathematics scholar.