The All Progressives Congress (APC) youth wing in Osun State has announced the inaugural edition of the Ilerioluwa Football Competition, aiming to foster unity and mobilize party members ahead of the 2026 elections.
Honourable Aremo Adelabu, former Special Adviser on Youths and Sports and Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the competition, emphasized the unifying power of sports, particularly football, in bringing people together.
He stated, “When we talk of youth, we are talking of sports. And when we are talking of sports, you know it’s a unifying factor. Most especially when we talk about football, it brings unity to people.”
The competition is designed to unite and mobilize the party’s youth across all local governments in the state. Hon. Adelabu highlighted the strategic importance of this initiative, noting, “We are looking at a way of unifying the youth of our party.
We want to bring them together, we want to mobilize them together so that we will be one. We use the sports to mobilize our youth so that… we can be able to claim the government back from the PDP.”
The Ilerioluwa Football Competition is planned as an annual event, providing APC youth with a recurring platform for engagement and unity.
“It’s going to be a yearly program, by the grace of God… so that at least the youth of the party, they will have something to look up to to celebrate every year.” He said.
The tournament will commence with preliminary matches in each federal constituency, progressing to the state capital, Osogbo, for the final stages.
The Technical Committee will provide guidelines on team participation from each local government.
During the inauguration ceremony, letters of appointment were distributed to members of various committees, including the Central Working Committee, Technical Committee, Security Committee, and Health Committee, ensuring a comprehensive approach to organizing the competition.
Hon. Adelabu, reflecting on his role, stated, “I was the former special advisor to our governor on youth and sports, and by the way, I’m the chairman of central planning committee of this football competition.”
The APC youth wing in Osun State is optimistic that the Ilerioluwa Football Competition will serve as a catalyst for unity and effective mobilization as they prepare for future political endeavors.
