Former Osun State governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has declared that he will not be contesting the 2026 governorship election in the state, Peak Newspaper Nigeria reports.
Oyetola made the announcement on Friday while addressing stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun.
Although the party in the state reserves the right of first refusal for him, Oyetola said he had no intention of returning to the race and urged interested aspirants to consult widely with party leaders and members ahead of the primaries.
“I won’t be in the 2026 gubernatorial contest,” he stated.
The minister, who governed the state between 2018 and 2022, lost his re-election bid to the incumbent governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wishing all aspirants success, Oyetola emphasised the need for unity within the APC and called for a collective approach to the upcoming election.
“We must prioritise party unity and approach the next governorship election as a united family,” he said.
Already, several party members have declared interest in the APC ticket, including Bola Oyebamiji, managing director of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority; APC national secretary, Ajibola Basiru; Dotun Babayemi; Akin Ogunbiyi; and former senator, Babajide Omoworare.
