Former Osun State Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has announced that he will not be contesting the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

Oyetola, who governed the state from 2018 to 2022, made this disclosure during a strategic meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Osogbo on Friday. He explained that his decision to step aside from the 2026 race is not a withdrawal from politics, but rather a tactical move to allow fresh leadership within the party to emerge.

“There are enough qualified, competent, and people of outstanding track records who could aspire to the office,” he said. He added that this diversity of competent candidates represents “a unique selling proposition to feast on,” which the party can leverage to reclaim the state.

Despite opting out of the governorship race, Oyetola pledged to remain actively involved in the party’s effort to take back Osun in 2026. He called on party members to remain united and focused, warning against divisive tactics.

“I want to appeal to all our aspirants to embrace peace and be each other’s keepers by avoiding a campaign of calumny, bitterness, and politics of acrimony,” he urged.

Oyetola declared that the APC’s return to power in Osun is “not negotiable,” assuring stakeholders that all legitimate efforts would be mobilized to achieve that goal. He expressed confidence in the APC’s strength and described the platform as “strong and able to unseat Governor Ademola Adeleke.”

Addressing developments on the national political scene, Oyetola dismissed coalition efforts by opposition politicians targeting President Bola Tinubu, insisting the moves pose no real threat to the APC.

“It is crystal clear that the coalition is drifting to collapse,” he said. “This has no iota of effect on us, particularly in Osun. We knew this since it is the same TOP that metamorphosed to Omoluabi and later ADC.”

He also commended loyal APC members for standing by the party since it lost power in Osun in 2022 and urged them to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Oyetola reaffirmed his commitment to steering the party to victory in 2026 — not as a candidate, but as a unifying figure and seasoned leader focused on strengthening the APC from within.