Osun APC Primaries: Fadeyi Calls for Tinubu Support After Losing Senatorial Ticket

Defeated Osun Central senatorial aspirant, Olubiyi Fadeyi, has moved to calm tensions within the All Progressives Congress, urging party members to rally behind President Bola Tinubu ahead of the party’s presidential primary election.

Fadeyi, who lost the APC senatorial ticket for the 2027 election to Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adekunle Adegoke, made the appeal in a statement released in Osogbo on Friday.

The lawmaker representing Osun Central Senatorial District in the Senate became the only former Peoples Democratic Party senator among the five lawmakers who defected to the APC in 2025 but failed to secure a re-election ticket under the ruling party.

Despite the setback, Fadeyi struck a conciliatory tone, calling for unity and loyalty among party members while warning against actions that could create division within the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, the strength of the party lies in its ability to remain united during politically sensitive periods, especially as preparations intensify for the next general election cycle.

Fadeyi described President Tinubu as a visionary leader committed to democratic governance and national development, insisting that supporting the president’s candidacy in the APC presidential primary would strengthen the party’s long-term political stability.

“Now is the time to demonstrate our loyalty to the party and our belief in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I call on all APC faithfuls to stand firm, remain committed, and support his candidacy for the progress and stability of our great nation,” he stated.

He further expressed confidence that the APC would emerge stronger after its internal contests and remain well-positioned to retain power at the national level.

Meanwhile, the APC senatorial primaries in Osun produced mixed outcomes for former PDP lawmakers who defected to the ruling party earlier this year.

Francis Fadahunsi, the senator representing Osun East, secured the APC ticket after polling 23,593 votes to defeat his rivals, Israel Famurewa and Thomas Ogungbangbe, who scored 472 and 806 votes respectively.

Fadahunsi, currently serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Industry, was first elected on the PDP platform in 2019 before retaining his seat in 2023. He later defected to the APC alongside four other lawmakers in 2025.

The outcome of the primaries has continued to generate political reactions across Osun State, especially within APC circles where party leaders are working to prevent post-primary grievances from escalating into wider internal disputes.