With days to the Osun State governorship election, senior members of the All Progressives Congress have intensified consultations as the party’s elders reviewed its campaign and considered strategies for victory.
The latest meeting was held at the country residence of former Governor Bisi Akande in Ila-Orangun, where several APC leaders gathered under the party’s elders’ caucus to assess the campaign ahead of Saturday’s poll.
Among those present was former Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore, whose appearance alongside Akande after the meeting generated reactions following the emergence of a photograph showing the two men walking together.
A member of the Omisore Campaign Organisation, Ajibola Famurewa, who attended the gathering, dismissed speculation of a separate meeting between the two politicians.
Famurewa explained that the photograph was taken after the caucus session when Akande and Omisore went in for lunch, adding that the former governor later accompanied his former deputy to his vehicle.
He said the discussions at the gathering focused largely on the APC’s electoral prospects, with participants identifying shortcomings in the campaign and proposing measures to address them before election day.
According to Famurewa, Omisore also made contributions during the deliberations, with the participants eventually reaching an agreement on the steps required to improve the party’s chances.
The development comes less than a week before voters in Osun State are scheduled to elect their governor on August 15.
Fourteen political parties have been cleared to contest the election, with the incumbent, Ademola Adeleke, seeking another term while the APC is also campaigning to take control of the state.