Politics

‎Osun Central 2027: APC Strengthens Campaign Team, Names Olaonipekun DG, Okunade Spokesperson, Sunmonu Strategy Head

Published by Akinwale Fakinlede on November 13th, 2026.

‎Osun Central 2027: APC Strengthens Campaign Team, Names Olaonipekun DG, Okunade Spokesperson, Sunmonu Strategy Head

The campaign council of all APC Candidates in Osun Central Senatorial District has appointed three experienced professionals and former public office holders to key leadership positions as part of efforts to strengthen its political structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The appointments, announced in a press statement issued in Osogbo on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, are Dr. Henry Olabode Olaonipekun as Director-General of the Campaign Organisation; Abdulrahman Babatunde Okunade as Spokesperson; and Hon. Taiwo Yekeen Sunmonu as Head of Strategy.

According to the campaign council , the appointments are aimed at strengthening its organisational capacity, strategic direction, public engagement and grassroots mobilisation across Osun Central Senatorial District.

Dr. Olaonipekun, who holds a PhD among other professional distinctions, is an accomplished administrator, management consultant and sustainable development practitioner.

He previously served as Osun State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment between 2019 and 2022. His career also includes service in the Federal Civil Service and an international assignment as an International Specialist in Administration with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Darfur, Sudan.

He also served as Director of Policy, Strategy and Communication at the Advanced Centre for Sustainable Development, Abuja, and has occupied several board and advisory positions.

His political experience includes serving as National Director of Strategy and Planning for the Buhari/Osinbajo Next Level Campaign and participating in the Presidential Support Committee for the former president’s re-election campaign.

The campaign council expressed confidence that his administrative background, international exposure and political experience would provide the leadership required to coordinate its operations and implement its strategic objectives.

Also appointed is Abdulrahman Babatunde Okunade, a legal practitioner and Notary Public of Nigeria, who will serve as the campaign’s Spokesperson.

Okunade has over 17 years of post-call experience spanning legal practice, public service, institutional administration and community engagement. He is a Partner at Apex Crown Solicitors, Osogbo, and a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Osogbo Branch, serving between 2019 and 2021.

His professional engagements include membership of the NBA National Executive Committee, the NBA Constitution Review Committee and the Osun State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality between 2020 and 2021.

An alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees, Okunade is expected to lead the campaign’s public communications, media relations, policy messaging and stakeholder engagement.

The council said his legal background and understanding of governance, public policy and institutional accountability would contribute to effectively communicating Council ‘s vision and programmes to the electorate.

Meanwhile, Hon. Taiwo Yekeen Sunmonu has been appointed Head of Strategy.

Sunmonu, a pharmacist and experienced public administrator, has served in several political and government positions in Osun State.

He was Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly between 2003 and 2007, Commissioner for Special Duties from 2008 to 2010, and Chairman of the Osun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) between 2021 and 2022.

With experience spanning legislative affairs, executive administration and public institutional management, he is expected to coordinate strategic planning, political intelligence, stakeholder mapping, campaign positioning and the development of approaches to achieving the organisation’s political objectives.

Explaining the significance of the appointments, the Campaign Council said the combination of Olaonipekun’s administrative and international development experience, Okunade’s legal and public communications expertise, and Sunmonu’s legislative and political leadership background would strengthen its institutional capacity.

The council further disclosed that it was working towards establishing a disciplined, inclusive and result-oriented campaign structure across the ten local government areas of Osun Central Senatorial District.

It reaffirmed its commitment to issue-based political engagement, grassroots participation, strategic communication and a development-focused agenda for the district.

The campaign council congratulated the three appointees, expressing confidence in their ability to discharge their responsibilities and contribute to building a broad coalition of support base for the Senatorial, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly candidates of the All Progressives Congress in Osun Central Senatorial District.

The statement was signed by the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the Council.

The appointments mark another step in the organisation’s preparations for the 2027 senatorial contest in Osun Central, where the campaign is positioning its message around effective representation, greater opportunities and stronger connections between the district and development opportunities.