Gboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy; and Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2026 Osun governorship election, were absent on Thursday as Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, inaugurated a 344-member campaign council for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Several other prominent APC leaders in the state were also absent from the inauguration held in Osogbo, the state capital, as the governor formally kicked off the campaign for Tinubu’s second term.

Those absent included Tajudeen Lawal, state chairman of the party; Timothy Owoeye, former speaker of the Osun house of assembly; and Oluwole Oke, lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade federal constituency.

Hours before the event, the Osun APC had said it was not briefed by the governor’s camp about the inauguration, describing the development as a ploy to cause division within the party in the state.

However, some national officials and former officeholders of the party attended the event, including Adebisi Akande, former governor of Osun; Ajibola Basiru, APC national secretary; and Iyiola Omisore, former national secretary of the party.