The Osun governorship election gains momentum as AAC selects 39-year-old entrepreneur Olajide Esan, pledging transparency, welfare reforms and voter education.
The race for the Osun governorship election took a decisive turn on Saturday as the African Action Congress (AAC) formally presented 39-year-old entrepreneur Olajide Esan as its governorship candidate ahead of the 2026 polls.
His emergence signals the party’s intention to challenge the dominance of established political forces in the state with a reform-driven and youth-focused agenda.
Esan, a businessman and automobile dealer, emerged through a consensus arrangement during the party’s governorship primary held at the AAC secretariat in the Powerline area of Osogbo.
The exercise was conducted under the watch of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lending procedural credibility to the process.
Announcing the outcome, Osun State AAC Chairman, Tayo Adeyemi, said Esan’s selection reflected broad-based acceptance by party stakeholders across the state.
According to him, the consensus model was adopted to strengthen unity within the party and ensure a smooth campaign build-up ahead of the 2026 Osun election.
Adeyemi described the primary as transparent, peaceful and in line with the party’s internal democratic values.
He noted that AAC members from different local government areas endorsed Esan’s candidacy after extensive consultations, adding that the party was determined to present a credible alternative to voters disillusioned with mainstream politics.
In his acceptance speech, Esan launched a strong critique of Nigeria’s political establishment, accusing dominant parties of entrenching hardship and failing to address the root causes of poverty.
He argued that governance in the country has been reduced to a system that benefits a few at the expense of the majority, leaving citizens trapped in economic uncertainty.
According to the AAC governorship candidate, Nigeria’s challenges are not accidental but the result of long-standing systemic failures.
He said poor leadership has weakened institutions, discouraged productivity and frustrated the potential of millions of young people who should be driving national development.
Esan stressed that genuine change would not come from the same political structures that created the current problems.
He urged citizens to take responsibility for shaping the future by supporting leaders committed to transparency, accountability and public service rather than personal gain.
Unveiling his vision for Osun State, Esan said his administration would prioritise citizens’ welfare and participatory governance.
One of his key proposals is the creation of a dedicated ministry focused on monitoring citizens’ wellbeing, gathering data on social needs and advocating policies that improve living standards across communities.
He also pledged to introduce an open governance framework that would allow residents to track government spending in real time.
According to him, a public website would be created to display details of all public funds, contracts and expenditures, enabling citizens to hold government officials accountable.
Transparency, Esan said, would be a cornerstone of his administration, as secrecy in governance often fuels corruption and public distrust.
By opening government finances to public scrutiny, he believes confidence in leadership can be restored.
Addressing electoral integrity, Esan condemned the widespread practice of vote buying, describing it as a major threat to democracy.
He said the African Action Congress has developed internal mechanisms and grassroots strategies to discourage the practice and educate voters on the long-term consequences of selling their votes.
He announced that AAC would intensify voter education campaigns across Osun State, particularly among first-time voters and rural communities.
The aim, he said, is to empower citizens with knowledge about their rights and responsibilities in the democratic process.
Calling on the electorate to reject political apathy, Esan urged residents not to expect change from “external saviours.”
He maintained that progress must be driven by the people themselves through active participation and informed decision-making during the Osun governorship election.
The AAC candidate also challenged voters to look beyond the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other established parties, arguing that years of alternating power among the same political actors have not delivered meaningful development.
He concluded by reaffirming AAC’s broader mission to reclaim governance from corrupt interests and return it to the people.
According to him, the party’s goal is to dismantle structures that reward misconduct while suppressing innovation, particularly among young Nigerians.
As the countdown to the 2026 Osun governorship election continues, Esan’s emergence positions the African Action Congress as a platform seeking to capitalise on growing public dissatisfaction with traditional politics, while offering an alternative built on transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.
Ireport247news
