APC has stronger case for foreign sanctions than rivals — Oyebamiji

Bola Oyebamiji, the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, has said the party has a stronger basis than the ruling Accord party to seek foreign sanctions over political violence, citing the killing of several members of the party before and after the 2022 governorship election.

Oyebamiji made the assertion during an interactive session with a delegation from the British High Commission in Osogbo while reacting to the call by the State Government that foreign missions, including the British High Commission, deny visa ban to members of the APC.

He said, “if any political party had reason to make such a request, it would more logically have been our party, the APC.

“Prior to the current administration taking office in the state, many of our members were painfully killed during the 2022 election period. Incidents in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire, Ede and several other communities were duly reported to the Nigeria Police Force.

“Although we were the governing party at the time, we neither sought to politicise the incidents nor level baseless accusations. Instead, we cooperated fully with the security agencies, allowing them to carry out their constitutional responsibilities. Today, several of those cases are before the courts.”

Read also: Appeal Court reserves judgment on INEC deregistration involving ADC, four others

Oyebamiji said the party has remained consistent in allowing law enforcement agencies to investigate such matters professionally rather than attempting to mislead the public or the international community with unsubstantiated allegations.

He described the visit of the British High Commission delegation as reassuring to the APC and the people of Osun, saying it reflected the United Kingdom’s continued interest in Nigeria’s democratic development.

Oyebamiji also sought continued cooperation with his administration if elected governor in the August 15, 2026 election.

He also expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible, free, fair and peaceful governorship election on August 15, 2026, urging the Commission to continue providing a level playing field for all political parties.

Earlier, Wale Adebajo, the Senior Political Adviser at the British High Commission, said the delegation arrived in Osun on Monday for pre-election engagements with political stakeholders in the State, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s support for Osun State.