The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expanded its directive prohibiting party officials from serving as coordinators for governorship aspirants, now including elders and apex leaders at all levels of the party structure.

The decision was announced in a statement jointly issued by the Osun APC Secretary, Alao Olabisi Kamoru, and the Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on Friday in Osogbo, following a meeting with party stakeholders.

According to the statement, the party had previously barred unit executive members, ward executive members, state executive members, and zonal and national executive members from coordinating for any gubernatorial aspirants. The latest directive extends this prohibition to party elders and apex leaders.

"The affected office holders are prevailed upon not to handle the directive with levity as the state leadership of the party would not hesitate to wield a big stick on any recalcitrant titled member of the party who violates the directive," the statement warned.

The directive comes as political activities intensify within the opposition party, with about six gubernatorial aspirants already conducting consultations across the state, despite the absence of official guidelines from the party leadership regarding the upcoming governorship election.

The Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, also cautioned aspirants to control their supporters and foot soldiers, emphasizing the need to avoid campaigns of calumny, antagonism, and hostility that could unnecessarily heat up the political atmosphere.

"All the stakeholders of the party should always remember the fact that we are members of the same political family who should contribute our own quota towards the collective mission of sending Governor Ademola Adeleke packing through the 2026 governorship election," the statement read.

The party leadership urged members to focus their energy on strengthening the party's position ahead of the 2026 elections rather than engaging in internal conflicts. They emphasized that the ultimate goal remains unseating the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke through constitutional means.

"Let our philosophy from this moment henceforth be how to make our party more potent and virile in the overall interest of our collective aspiration of going back for the occupation of the political leadership theatre of the state in 2026," the statement concluded.