By Engr. Abdul-Rahman Badmus, Ph.D., FNSE
Aare Bobagunwa Owúle-Ife Kingdom

The outcome of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State has spaeat and the future of its leadership, with some members blaming former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for the loss.

However, an APC chieftain and close associate of Oyetola, Engr. Abdul-Rahman Badmus, has rejected what he described as a convenient attempt to make the former governor the sole scapegoat for the party’s electoral setback.

Badmus argued that the allegations that Oyetola excluded party members, imposed his will and marginalized others did not present a complete picture of his record or his contributions to Osun and the APC.

He acknowledged that not everyone who sought federal appointments during Oyetola’s tenure received one, but maintained that the former governor consistently worked to ensure that Osun indigenes benefited from opportunities in federal institutions.

Badmus claimed that Oyetola facilitated the recruitment of more than 250 Osun indigenes into the Federal Civil Service.

He described the development as a long-term investment in the people of the state, noting that the beneficiaries would build careers, earn livelihoods and contribute to the economy for decades.

He therefore argued that a government’s inability to satisfy every demand for appointments should not automatically be interpreted as deliberate exclusion.

Badmus also defended Oyetola against calls for him to step aside from the leadership of the Osun APC following the party’s defeat.

According to him, Oyetola has continued to support the party, contribute to its activities and strengthen its structure despite difficult periods and internal disagreements.

He described the former governor as a bridge among different interests within the party, insisting that his contributions should not suddenly become irrelevant because the APC lost an electoral contest.

Badmus said the party should instead conduct an honest assessment of the circumstances that led to the defeat.

He urged the APC to examine its mobilisation, campaign strategy, candidate selection, internal relationships and other factors that may have affected its performance.

He also questioned the role of some party members who are now criticising Oyetola, asking whether personal grievances, withheld support or actions that undermined the party’s interests may have contributed to the outcome.

Badmus stressed that he was not making an accusation against any individual, but said the questions must be asked if the party genuinely wants to understand the reasons for its defeat.

“If individuals deliberately withheld their support, worked against the party’s interests or allowed personal grievances to take precedence over collective victory, they cannot now present themselves as dispassionate analysts of the defeat,” he said.

The APC chieftain further cited President Bola Tinubu’s previous assessment of Oyetola, saying the President had described the former governor as having discharged himself creditably.

He noted that Tinubu’s position that Oyetola lost a contest but did not lose his integrity remained relevant in assessing the former governor’s political record.

Badmus also argued that the August 15 election result should be viewed in context and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of the total collapse of the APC in Osun.

He maintained that political parties do not survive only through election-day mobilisation but also through sustained relationships, experience, organisational structures and the deliberate development of younger political actors.

According to him, Oyetola remains one of the few figures capable of serving as a link between older and younger generations of politicians and technocrats within the APC.

He said Oyetola understands the history of the progressive political movement while maintaining relationships with younger professionals, emerging politicians and technocrats.

Badmus drew a comparison with Tinubu’s political experience as governor of Lagos State, saying the President invested in younger politicians while also retaining the experience of older political actors.

He argued that such an approach helped create a new generation of politicians capable of sustaining political structures and producing electoral victories.

According to Badmus, Oyetola’s investment in younger politicians may not yield immediate results, but could ensure that the APC continues to have credible personnel and resources to sustain the party and pursue a return to power in Osun in the future.

While acknowledging Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory, Badmus said recognising the election outcome should not prevent the APC from honestly examining its own shortcomings.

He said the party must learn from the election rather than spend the coming months searching for a single individual to blame.

Badmus warned that turning Oyetola into a scapegoat could deepen the divisions within the APC and make it more difficult for the party to rebuild ahead of future elections.

He maintained that Oyetola, like every other political leader, was not perfect, but said his record of service to Osun, efforts to attract opportunities to the state, contributions to the growth of the APC and commitment to its survival should not be ignored.

He urged APC members across Osun to embrace accountability while avoiding actions that could further weaken the party.

“We can disagree, we can demand accountability and we can correct our mistakes, but we must not allow personal grievances to destroy the party we have spent years building,” Badmus said