Members of the Blue Movement, one of the political groups associated with former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, have returned to the All Progressives Congress in the state, throwing their weight behind the party’s governorship candidate for the 2026 election, Bola Oyebamiji.
The group, led by its convener, Wale Alabi, a former Senior Special Assistant to Aregbesola on Regional Integration during his second term as governor, was formally received back into the APC on Wednesday at a rally held in Osogbo.
Receiving the defectors, Oyebamiji and other party chieftains urged them to fully reintegrate into the APC’s structures and work collectively to return the party to power in the August 8, 2026 governorship election.
Addressing the rally, Oyebamiji described the return of the Blue Movement as a boost to the party’s growing strength ahead of the poll, calling on party members to embrace unity.
“The APC is waxing stronger. The Blue Movement are our members, and we must work together from the unit to the ward and state levels,” he said.
Oyebamiji said the development signified renewed unity within the party and confidence in its electoral prospects.
“Today’s event is a clear sign of unity and an indication that the APC will win the August 8, 2026 governorship election. The Blue Movement are core APC members. Unfortunately, during the 2022 governorship election, about 6,000 of them stepped aside.
“We pleaded with them then, but they insisted on stepping aside. Today, they are back and are being fully reinstated. This will significantly increase the APC’s voting strength in Osun State,” he added.
Earlier, Alabi said the group never abandoned the APC but only aligned with a caucus within the party during previous political disagreements, stressing that the rally marked its formal resumption of activities within the party.
“We did not leave the APC. We only stepped aside to align with a caucus. Today, we are back to resume our full participation in the party,” he said.
Alabi urged the electorate to return the APC to power in Osun, arguing that the party remained best positioned to deliver economic growth and development.
He also formally endorsed Oyebamiji’s candidacy, citing his record in public office.
“We believe in his track record and what he is capable of doing. From the offices he has handled, he performed well. We are convinced he is the man who can restore Osun’s economic prosperity. We are here to win Osun back,” Alabi said.
Political observers note that the return of the Blue Movement is part of the broader realignment of political forces in Osun State as parties and factions position themselves ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, recently withdrew from the Omoluabi Progressives, another Aregbesola-backed caucus within the African Democratic Congress in Osun State.
Adeoti’s exit has been linked to his inability to secure backing for his ambition to clinch the ADC governorship ticket.
By Bola Bamigbola
