A political group, Osun Ajose Foundation, has purchased and presented the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship nomination form to a former deputy governor of Osun State, Benedict Alabi.

Presenting the form to Alabi at his residence in Osogbo, the state capital, on Saturday, the group, led by its Director-General, Mr Moruf Adekunle, said the former deputy governor is the most qualified among the aspirants seeking the APC gubernatorial ticket.

Speaking on behalf of the chairman, one of the group members, Opeyemi Badmus, described Alabi as a unifier who will take Osun to a new height.

Badmus said, “We have been in the progressive movement for a while, and when our leader, Benedict Alabi, was the deputy governor of Osun State, we were together, and he did wonderfully well, especially for the youth.

“He is a bridge builder. He is someone who prioritises the future of the youth. We have seen him as a leader par excellence, and we believe that what we can do to support his ambition is to purchase the form for him.

“We know he is the only unifier among the aspirants, and we believe that when he becomes the governor by God’s grace, Osun will progress.”

The Osun West Senatorial District Coordinator of the Foundation, Oladipupo Najeem, described Alabi as a politician who never shuts his door against party members, noting that the gesture was necessitated by the former deputy governor’s charisma and achievements in office.

He said since former governor Gboyega Oyetola is not running, it was appropriate for the party leadership to consider giving the party’s ticket to Alabi because “whenever a chairman is not around, it’s the deputy chairman that takes over affairs of an organisation.”

In his remarks, Alabi said his ambition to become the governor was born out of a deep-seated and enduring commitment to the progress of Osun State and the welfare of the residents.

Alabi, while appreciating Osun Ajose for the trust reposed in him, said he is the most qualified among the APC aspirants.

He noted that, as the immediate past deputy governor of the state, he already had the experience to lead the state, adding that he was confident he would emerge as the APC candidate, even if the party decides to go for consensus.

He said, “I want to appreciate Osun Ajose. My decision to contest is not born of a fleeting ambition, but from a deep-seated and enduring commitment to the progress of our state and the welfare of every single one of our people.

“It is a commitment anchored in a simple, yet powerful, principle: that leadership, at its very best, is an act of service, guided by a good heart. It is a mission that begins not with seeking power, but with a good heart—a heart that feels the struggles of our people and is compelled to act.

“When you look at antecedents, I don’t see anybody who has my antecedents in governance. I was the former deputy governor, and my experience has positioned me well for this task.

“Even if the party said the candidate will be picked through consensus, I will be the chosen person. The party needs a unifier, and in all modesty, I believe I am the lead in the pack.”