Osun 2026: APC Group Beg For Female Running Mate, Vows 300,000 Votes.

A political group, Women Vanguard, has appealed to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to select a woman as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Munirudeen Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

The group stated that choosing a female deputy governorship candidate would give the APC a significant electoral edge, with the potential to secure more than 300,000 votes for the party, in addition to other advantages.

The appeal was contained in a communiqué issued at the group’s maiden 2026 meeting held in Ile-Ife on Thursday. The document was signed by the state coordinator, Madam Kikelomo Elempe, and the secretary, Omolara Adedayo, and made available to journalists.

The Women Vanguard praised the APC leadership for displaying unity, maturity, and discipline before, during, and after the Osun State governorship primary election that produced Oyebamiji as the party’s consensus candidate.

According to the communiqué, the group said extensive consultations had shown the strategic importance of picking a female running mate, noting that such a decision would expand the party’s electoral appeal and greatly improve its chances of winning the election. It added that particular attention should be given to Osun East Senatorial District.

The group cited available electoral data indicating that Osun East Senatorial District has 689,708 registered voters, with Ile-Ife alone accounting for 343,707 voters across four local government areas, making it the largest voting bloc in the state. This, it said, highlights the district’s strategic importance to the APC’s electoral success.

Based on this, the group unanimously recommended that a capable female Christian indigene of Ile-Ife be considered as the running mate to Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

The APC Women Vanguard, which claimed a strong presence across Osun State, said appointing a woman as deputy governorship candidate would boost women’s political participation and mobilisation, thereby strengthening the party’s prospects in the election.

The group further stated that its preferred candidate must be an experienced politician and administrator who has served with distinction and possesses strong grassroots mobilisation capacity.

According to the group, its membership strength, which it said exceeds 50,000 across the state, is expected to grow rapidly if a female deputy governor is chosen, adding that women alone would deliver over 300,000 votes for the party.

The group expressed confidence that selecting a female running mate for AMBO would attract more votes, noting that the last two administrations had male deputy governors. It also criticised the current administration for sidelining women in governance, pointing out the lack of female representation in the cabinet and the House of Assembly.

The Women Vanguard therefore made a formal appeal to the party leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola; Chief Bisi Akande; the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru; and the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, to approve the nomination of a female Christian running mate from Ile-Ife as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate in Osun State.