Ile-Ife Gets “Consolation Prize” in Deputy Seat Speculation

 

Speculation emerging from social media circles and within the All Progressives Congress suggests that Ife-born former lawmaker, Hon. Tunde Lekan Olatunji, may have been penciled down as running mate to the party’s governorship hopeful, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the 2026 Osun State election.

While the party has yet to issue an official confirmation, multiple insiders familiar with internal consultations say Olatunji’s name has “gained momentum,” though others describe the move as a strategic placeholder pending final harmonisation, a phrase increasingly popular in political dictionaries.

Olatunji previously served as Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, representing the Ife-North State Constituency, a credential supporters cite as proof of legislative experience, while critics jokingly frame it as “experience now redeployed for emotional balancing.”

Observers argue that the rumored choice appears less about sudden youth enthusiasm and more about geographic diplomacy, a political arithmetic where zones are courted like swing voters at a family reunion.

As of press time, party officials remain characteristically tight-lipped, a silence that in Nigerian politics often speaks louder than official press releases. Until confirmation arrives, the deputy slot remains what analysts describe as both a ticket and a peace offering, depending on who is counting the votes and who is counting the losses.