The All Progressives Congress (APC) has chosen Bola Oyebamiji, the former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), as its consensus candidate for the upcoming Osun State governorship election.
His selection was confirmed on Saturday during the party’s primary in Osogbo.
The decision followed a motion by two other aspirants, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Senator Babajide Omoworare, to adopt Oyebamiji as the sole candidate.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, who chaired the primary committee, put the motion to a voice vote, which was overwhelmingly supported by party members present.
This outcome was widely anticipated after a late-night meeting on Wednesday, where President Bola Tinubu met with the seven aspirants in Abuja.
Subsequently, all other contenders stepped down to back a unity candidate. Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former APC National Secretary and one of the aspirants, publicly endorsed the consensus arrangement, stating he accepted the party’s direction following guidance from the President.
The primary event was attended by several high-profile party figures, including Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, and Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
