Osun 2026: Uzodimma Turns APC Campaign Finale Into Test of “Progressive” Politics

By Vivian Iwu 

***

OSOGBO — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken its campaign for the Osun State governorship election to a defining moment, with Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, urging voters to place their confidence in the party's candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO).

Speaking at the grand finale of the APC campaign at Freedom Park, Osogbo, Uzodimma framed the election as more than a contest between political candidates, presenting it as a choice between competing visions of governance and development.

His central argument was straightforward: if the APC's brand of progressive governance can deliver development elsewhere, Osun can replicate it.

Uzodimma told the gathering that the APC's philosophy remained centred on good governance, inclusive development and improving the quality of life of ordinary citizens. He therefore called on Osun voters to support Oyebamiji, expressing confidence that an APC victory would produce meaningful transformation across the state.

But beneath the campaign rhetoric lies a bigger political question: will Osun voters judge the APC primarily by its promises, or by the lived experiences of governance?

That question could prove decisive.

Elections are rarely won by slogans alone. The promise of infrastructure, economic opportunity, improved public services and inclusive governance must ultimately be translated into realities that citizens can see and feel.

For the APC, therefore, the Osun contest represents an opportunity to demonstrate that its claim to progressive, people-centred governance can resonate beyond its traditional political strongholds.

For Oyebamiji, the challenge is even more immediate. He must convince voters that he is not merely the beneficiary of a powerful political structure, but the candidate capable of converting that structure into practical solutions for Osun's economic, social and developmental challenges.

Uzodimma's intervention also gives the contest a broader national dimension. Governors and political leaders from outside Osun are increasingly becoming part of the campaign conversation, suggesting that the election is being watched not simply as a state contest but as another measure of the APC's political strength.

The governor's appeal was ultimately a direct one: Osun should give AMBO a chance to implement the APC's developmental philosophy.

But the final decision belongs to the electorate.

And that leaves perhaps the most important question for Osun voters:

Will the promise of APC-style transformation be powerful enough to persuade voters that the future they want is best delivered through AMBO—or will they demand a different political direction?

What do you think: should Osun voters judge AMBO and the APC by the party's promises, its record of governance, or both?