At least seven Osun State governorship aspirants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have withdrawn from the race following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

They have all agreed to support Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus governorship candidate in the forthcoming primary.

The meeting, called by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, was boycotted by one of the aspirants, Iyiola Omisore.

Omisore had earlier described his disqualification from the primary as a joke.

The aspirants who stepped down include former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke, Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh.

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has addressed the controversy sparked by her comments to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke during the 10th coronation anniversary of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

The incident, which sparked public debate, occurred on Sunday at the Ile-Ife palace, where Mrs Tinubu was conferred with the traditional title of Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua.

While Governor Adeleke was giving his goodwill message and offering tributes to the monarch and the First Lady, Mrs Tinubu interrupted the governor with a firm directive.

“Enough with the music, or I’ll switch off the microphone,” she said, instructing the governor to “conclude in five minutes.”

The remark, delivered on stage in full view of dignitaries, was met with mixed reactions online, with critics accusing the First Lady of disrespect.

In her response posted on her verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Mrs Tinubu shared a photo of herself with Governor Adeleke from the event, dismissing the outrage as overblown.

“Those entrusted with leadership understand their duties and how to steer the affairs of society. More often, it is the followers and critics who scrutinise every step, amplify minor missteps, and turn them into needless controversy,” she wrote.

The Federal Government on Wednesday arraigned former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, and her co-defendant, Gloria Odita, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on multiple counts bordering on alleged fraud, obtaining by false pretence, and criminal breach of trust.

According to the charge sheet presented before Justice Hamza Muazu, the defendants were accused of conspiring in January 2014 to obtain a total of N2,469,030,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd under allegedly fraudulent claims.

In Count One, the prosecution alleged that Oduah and Odita “agreed amongst yourselves to obtain the whopping sum of Two Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Thirty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Eight Naira, Nine Kobo (₦2,469,030,738.90) … by falsely pretending that the said sum represented ‘Cost of Technical Supervision’ and ‘Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services,’ which representation you knew to be false.”

The offence violates Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and is punishable under Section 1(3).

In Count Two, the government alleged that on January 13, 2014, the defendants “obtained the sum of Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Eight Naira, Nine Kobo (₦839,780,738.90) … by falsely pretending that the said sum represented ‘Cost of Technical Supervision’.”

Count Three alleges that on February 12, 2014, the defendants obtained ₦1,629,250,000 from the ministry through Global Offshore Marine Ltd, claiming it was for “Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services,” a representation the prosecution says was knowingly false.

In Counts Four and Five, the FG accused Oduah, as minister at the time, of dishonestly misappropriating the same sums earmarked for a contract awarded to 1-Sec Security Nigeria Ltd.

The charge states that she “dishonestly misappropriated the sum … by authorizing the transfer of the said sum, which act is a breach of your official trust,” contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.The charges were read to both defendants, who pleaded not guilty.

The defendants’ lawyers, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) for Oduah and Wale Balogun (SAN) for Odita, subsequently moved bail applications.

Ikpeazu urged the court to grant his client bail on self-recognition, noting that the first defendant has been a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has voluntarily flown in from the United States to honour the court summons, and has been on administrative bail with the EFCC.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who appeared personally for the prosecution, said the government was not opposed to bail.

However, he insisted that the court should set a firm date for the hearing, adding that the defendants were served as far back as November 27, 2025, and are fully aware of the steps they ought to take.

Justice Muazu granted Oduah bail on self-recognition and ordered the defendants to deposit their passports with the court.

Justice Mauzu adjourned the matter to February 12 and 13, 2026, for trial.