By Adebayo Adeleke
Since its creation in 1991, Osun State has produced six governors. But of all the governors, the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke stands out as the most overwhelming, given his dismal performance in education, human development, infrastructure development and security.
Adeleke’s lack of focus, integrity, accountability and consistency— coupled with his absence of genuine leadership qualities—has alienated the public from his government, a growing disconnection which is now haunting him and driving his desperate bid to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Months ago, Governor Adeleke reportedly directed leaders of his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and officials of government in the state to defect to APC with him. But strangely, rather than admitting that his planned defection was borne out of desperation to win his re-election and avoid financial probe of the EFCC, he sold dummies and lied that President Bola Tinubu personally begged him to join the APC. That events that followed his rejection by APC are better imagined than described as his handlers launched coordinated media attacks on the President, pouring ridicule on the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.
Given the level of disdain with which the President was treated in official state publications and broadcasts, one would have thought that Adeleke had permanently severed ties with the APC and would never have anything to do again with the party. But NO— like a swaggering eunuch lusting after the village belle, Adeleke has shamelessly revived his campaign to join the same APC he cursed only weeks ago.
Reports suggest that Governor Ademola Adeleke and his elder brother, Dr Deji Adeleke, have been traversing the country, begging and lobbying influential leaders to speak to President Bola Tinubu on their behalf. Former Ogun state governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba and National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, are two of the intercessors they allegedly approached for the assignment.
While the governor is reaching out to credible leaders, the question that arises is that: is Governor Adeleke himself credible? The answer is resounding NO. A credible leader will not malign or defame the President in Osun, calling him a dictator and enemy of democracy, while pretending to be seeking favour from him in Abuja. The governor cannot play saint in Abuja and unleash terror on our party members in Osun. Enough of his hide-and-seek game.
If he truly has no plans to defect, he should publicly deny the rumour. And if indeed he is lobbying to join, he should have the courage to say so openly instead of claiming political strength he clearly lacks.
As we speak, there are at least 13 lawsuits instituted against our party by the Adeleke administration. These are in addition to the trumped-up defamation and libel cases against our members, particularly our media team. Any governor who constantly criticizes the president and undermines federal government policies in education, health and social welfare has no business seeking refuge in the APC.
Even some of Adeleke’s followers in Osun, who were coerced into signing a communiqué endorsing President Tinubu’s re-election, have since backtracked and are now openly criticizing the president on radio, television and social media.
Governor Adeleke is only pretending to support President Tinubu for selfish reasons: to preserve himself and to pursue his 2026 re-election bid. If he wins his re-election, there is no assurance that he would not betray Tinubu in 2027. He has a history of always reneging on political contracts. For instance, he turned around to eat his words in 2018 when he contested the governorship election after assuring his kinsman and former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Adejare Bello, that he would support his gubernatorial ambition. This deep betrayal led to the defection of Bello to APC. Again, the inability of Adeleke to fulfil his promises to his co-contestants in PDP, such as Akin Ogunbiyi and Dotun Babayemi hastened the movement of the duo from PDP to APC. Adeleke knows he is bound to lose in 2026, given his abysmal performance and poor public rating, hence his struggle to join APC for rehabilitation and survival.
Governor Adeleke is only engaging in eye-service. If he truly supports President Tinubu, he would not be frustrating or undermining federal government policies such as the student loan initiative. Instead of complementing the president’s vision, Adeleke has increased school fees in all state-owned tertiary institutions.
At UNIOSUN, students who used to pay ₦400,000 to ₦500,000 now pay between ₦1.3 million and ₦1.5 million. Similarly, at UNILESA, students are charged as high as ₦1.4 million— without accommodation. Such exploitative fees defeat the purpose of the student loan policy, which aims to make education accessible to all youths. This will overstretch NELFUND’s capacity and restrict benefits to only few students.
Similarly, Adeleke administration is misleading the people by taking credit for federal social intervention programmes. Recall that the federal government, in its efforts to cushion the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal, initiated several social welfare programmes such as conditional cash transfers to economically disadvantaged citizens. State governments were asked to submit lists of indigent beneficiaries. However, Osun State submitted lists filled with its party members. When payments were made, the Adeleke government deceitfully claimed the programme was its own initiative. Why didn’t the state government honestly inform the beneficiaries that the support came from President Bola Tinubu’s administration?
Also, the government of Adeleke is frustrating federal projects under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Since 2022, when the federal government handed over a skills acquisition centre and a maternal-and-child hospital to the state, both facilities have remained inactive.
The state government was recently accused of looting and converting federal facilities at the SDG hospital in Osogbo for its own use. This is despicable and portrays the government as robbing Peter to pay Paul. If the state government needs medical equipment for accreditation at its teaching hospital, decency demands that it funds the process rather than diverting equipment provided by the federal government for the SDG centre.
For those who care to know, Governor Adeleke has become a political orphan, as many influential politicians who helped him win in 2022 have since left the PDP and joined the APC. Two senators and three House of Representatives members who contributed to his victory are now with us in APC, alongside their supporters. Prominent figures, such as Chief Shuaib Oyedokun (former PDP Deputy National Chairman), Omooba Dotun Babayemi (former governorship aspirant in PDP), Oluomo Yinka Adeojo (Former PDP state Secretary ) Dr Akin Ogunbiyi (founder of Mutual Assurance PLC), Hon. Kayode Oduoye (former governorship aspirant in PDP), Dr Peter Babalola (former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola) and Hon. Kazeem Adio (former SSG under Oyinlola), have all joined the APC.
What does this signify? That Governor Adeleke is not a team player. Losing Senator Ade Fadahunsi, Hon. Oluwole Oke, Hon. Omirin , Senator Ajagunla and others who once stood firmly by him shows that his entry into the APC would be disastrous. The question any sane person would ask is, why would the ruling party under Adeleke be losing member to opposition APC if he were a competent leader? It is clear that Adeleke would add no value to our party or to President Tinubu’s 2027 chances.
With the renewed strength of the APC and the enthusiasm among members, the party is positioned to deliver massive votes for President Tinubu in 2027. The party does not need Adeleke, who is fleeing the wrath of Osun people he betrayed— from 1500 teachers and 2000 health workers he sacked, to over 32,000 stranded job applicants that paid recruitment fees to Osun government over a year ago with no feedback, to students who daily drop out of school due to exorbitant tuition fees.
The people of Akinlalu, whose loved ones were killed by the state-owned Amotekun operatives, are also waiting to punish him at the polls. The mismanagement of the Akinlalu saga, where for 13 days the state governor could not pay physical visit to the mourning community, has exposed the lack of humanity of characters at the helms of affairs in Osun.
Patriotic Osun citizens who are tired of Adeleke’s theatrics will not vote for him in 2026. Families of those who lost their lives in the sham local government elections of February 2022, and in the Esa-Oke kingship crisis—where an elderly man was beheaded and several others were brutally injured— will not forgive him easily and they are waiting to punish him in 2026.
Allowing Adeleke to join APC may cause psychological trauma to the entire membership of the party considering the untoward treatment meted out to them by his government or his party and handlers. The 2022 and 2023 election experiences, where no fewer than 30 APC members were slaughtered like fowl by thugs suspected to be PDP mercenaries, still ring bell in their heads.
Adeleke’s sins are numerous and inexhaustible. They include: the obnoxious executive order that deposed some traditional rulers appointed by the APC government even when their cases were still in court; awarding multi-billion naira road projects without following due process. Making fertilizer distributors, cyber cafe operators and other incompetent cronies road contactors has caused disaffection in Osun governance structure and polity.
The spate of insecurity and killings in Ilobu, Ifon, Erin Osun, Egbedi and other towns as well as weighty allegation that criminals on the wanted-list of the police are harboured in the Osun State’s Government House, are concerning and have exposed the lack of preparedness of Adeleke for good governance. He needs to be shown a red card in 2026, not a refuge. Osun will become a pariah state if the bumbling Adeleke is handed an extra day after November 26, 2026 when his tenure will expire.
Governor Adeleke should be made to stay in his party, PDP, or join another party to re-contest in 2026 if he is sure of his self-acclaimed popularity. Afterall, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State reportedly supported President Tinubu in 2023, without leaving his PDP enclave. The loquacious Governor should stop the deceit: enough of it.
Adebayo Adeleke, a political scientist and former commissioner in Osun State, writes from Iree, Osun State.