Gboyega Oyetola, Drops 2026 Governorship Bid

Gboyega Oyetola, Drops 2026 Governorship Bid

Gboyega Oyetola, the former governor of Osun and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, has announced his withdrawal from the 2026 governorship race.

Oyetola made the announcement on Saturday, July 26, while addressing party leaders at the Tinubu/Shettima campaign house in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.

The former governor, who served from 2018 to 2022, lost his re-election bid to Governor Ademola Adeleke of the PDP. He was later appointed as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.

Oyetola wished the APC aspirants well in the forthcoming party primary and urged them to maintain peace during their campaigns, avoiding acrimony and bitterness.

This development comes amid speculation that Governor Adeleke may defect from the PDP to the APC to secure his re-election chances, following his meeting with President Tinubu and the recent defection of two senators from the PDP to the APC.