Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe, a leader in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, is confident that the party will achieve victory in the upcoming local government elections. These elections are set for February 22, 2025, and 18 political parties, including the APC, plan to participate.
In a statement on Thursday, September 19, Ogungbangbe responded to the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), which noted that the APC and two other parties had not properly nominated candidates for chairmanship positions in about seven local government areas. He encouraged party members to remain united and not to worry about the situation.
Ogungbangbe asserted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should not be too quick to celebrate. He believes that the APC’s popularity has been growing since the current administration took office. As chairman of the Aviation Fuel Marketers Association of Nigeria, he called for early preparations for the elections and expressed the APC’s readiness to win a majority of council areas, aiming to reclaim power lost to the PDP in the 2022 governorship elections.
“My party, the APC, is not growing weary. Regardless of what OSSIEC says, we are confident in our acceptance in Osun and are determined to achieve a landslide victory,” he stated. “We need to start preparing early and develop the right strategies to support our widespread acceptance.”
Ogungbangbe also addressed the current economic challenges in Nigeria, urging citizens to remain hopeful and trust in President Bola Tinubu’s ability to lead the country toward prosperity.
In response, Oladele Olabamiji, the Director of Media and Publicity for Osun PDP, stated that the APC must first resolve issues with its candidate nominations before thinking about winning a majority in the local government elections. He emphasized that the PDP remains committed to working hard to win all 30 local government areas, confident in its popularity among residents.
“Before the APC can dream of winning, they need to overcome their nomination challenges,” Olabamiji said. “As the ruling party in Osun, we are dedicated to achieving victory across all local government areas. The people are with us.”
