Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has boasted that he’ll defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2026governorship election, declaring: “I will beat Oyebamiji by the might of God and the people.”
Reacting to a statement credited to his predecessor and Minister of Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola at the APC gubernatorial primary last Saturday, the governor described the minister’s hope for victory as “wishful thinking, illusory grandstanding and a failure to accept the deep level of unpopularity of the APC among the people of Osun State”
Describing Oyetola’s governorship as an anti-people era in Osun history, Adeleke lamented the poor state of affairs when he took over the state in 2022, tagging Oyetola’s reign “a dark page in Osun socio-political history, a period neither labour nor any segment of our population wants re-enacted.”
The governor, who boasted of a mass movement behind his re-election bid mocked the minister and the APC for embarking on anti-democratic activities instead of marketing themselves to the people and potential voters.
“If you are sure you have the votes of the people, why are you deploying anti-democratic means to stop the unstoppable will of our people? It is shameful and reprehensible that those who claim to be popular are dead scared to face the people in a free and fair election,” he said.
Speaking on Sunday through his Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor described the claim as “a clear misreading of the political reality in Osun State. The people of the state are fully satisfied with the people-oriented and responsive governance being delivered by the present administration.
“Osun citizens are enjoying a government that prioritises workers’ welfare, infrastructure renewal, healthcare delivery, education, and inclusive development, and therefore have no desire to return to the era of hardship, neglect, and anti-people policies associated with the APC’s 12-years rule in the State.
“You and your proxy, now the APC’s governorship candidate, were central figures in the mismanagement that plunged Osun State into economic distress, characterised by half salaries, mounting debts, and poor service delivery to the people. Osun will not go back to the dark days.”
Adeleke said his administration was currently reversing those damages and restoring dignity to governance in the state as attested to by several awards and recognition including the newest one, the winner of primary health care leadership challenge for South West.
He further asserted that the performance of his administration across all critical sectors has earned the trust and confidence of the people, who were determined to defend the gains of good governance at the polls.
“As the August 8, 2026 gubernatorial election approaches, Osun people are fully aware that a vote for the APC and its candidate is a vote for a return to the failures of the past. Such a regression is one the people of Osun are not prepared to entertain,” the governor stated.
Adeleke reaffirmed his commitment to sustained delivery of democratic dividends and urged Osun citizens to disregard political propaganda, assuring them of continued focus on people-centered development.
Yinka Kolawole
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