Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), the All Progressives Congress candidate in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election, believes his years in banking, public finance and public administration have prepared him to lead the state. A former Commissioner for Finance under two administrations and immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Oyebamiji says Osun needs a business-minded leader capable of translating its abundant human and natural resources into shared prosperity. He speaks on his vision for the state, his PROSPERITY Agenda, governance priorities, security concerns and why he believes the APC will reclaim Osun. Sunday Ehigiator brings the excerpts: Why do you believe you are best qualified to be the next governor of Osun State? I am running because I believe that I have what it takes to turn around the declining fortune of Osun State. The state has an estimated population of about five million citizens. We are blessed with vast human capital and abundant mineral resources — all tangible assets that can elevate our state to a new level of prosperity. To maximise these assets, Osun requires a focused, credible, knowledgeable manager with proven character and capacity. A leader who can confidently sign their signature and stand by it. I, Bola Oyebamiji, offer myself because I have the managerial competence and experience to reposition Osun State for greatness and deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I have served as Commissioner for Finance, working directly with two governors, and I also served as Managing Director of the state’s investment arm, OSICOL. The records are there, and my antecedents are clear. I am that manager that Osun State needs to flourish. I became MD of OSICOL, now known as Omoluabi Holdings Limited, and the achievements are there for anyone to verify. From OSICOL, I was appointed Commissioner for Finance under former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and we delivered excellently. I also served our leader, Adegboyega Oyetola as Finance Commissioner, also without blemish. Later, I was appointed Managing Director of NIWA, and in two years, we recorded unprecedented progress, and the results have never been matched since the establishment of NIWA. These experiences give me confidence that with hard work, competence, and God’s grace, success will always follow. We are in this race to win, to serve, and to deliver value to our party and our people. Why do you believe the people of Osun should replace the current administration in the August 15 governorship election? The facts speak for themselves. And to properly situate why Osun deserves a better deal at this time, the last allocation received by the APC administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) stood at approximately N2.6 billion. Today, the average monthly allocation to the state is about N16 billion without commensurate values to the state and her citizens. In fact, few of the infrastructure projects delivered by the current administration were awarded in secrecy to incompetent contractors while many of such projects have failed before commissioning. To arrest the current drift in the state, I therefore seek your support as we approach the August 15, 2026, governorship election in Osun State. I have spent 12 years in the topmost levels of government, working directly with tough, credible managers — two former governors. As Commissioner for Finance, you must thoroughly analyse, review, and recommend every financial decision. I understand government operations deeply. Among all the other candidates, I am the only one with these combinations of high-level experience, proven records, and capacity in both the private and public sectors. I have the experience. I have the records. I have the antecedents. And I am prepared to lead Osun State to a new era. I was shaped in a target-oriented industry: banking, which rewards performance and sanctions inefficiency. This philosophy has guided my professional and personal life for decades. I am committed to a fair reward system, helping everyone reach their potential without bias. My administration will be firmly rooted in fairness and equity. It will be a new dawn for our people. Our people can no longer sit and watch the enormous resources of the state being expended without equal value or meaningful improvement in their daily lives. Osun State cannot afford to be left behind in the current wave of reforms, development and economic transformation being championed by the administration of our great leader, Mr President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. We must therefore seize this moment of national transformation and ensure that Osun State becomes an active participant and beneficiary of the Renewed Hope Agenda. This is why I believe Osun State deserves a change in leadership at this point in time. Can you walk
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