….you’re jittery about emergence of Oyebamiji as our guber candidate – Osun APC
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has vowed to defeat the All Progressives Congress(APC) gubernatorial candidate, Bola Oyebamiji in the 2026 polls.
In a statement issued by the governor’s Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the Governor reacted to the emergence of Oyebamiji as the APC flag-bearer noting unequivocally, “I will beat Oyebamiji by the might of God and people.”
Also referencing Former Osun State Governor, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola’s statement during the APC guber Primary on 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 APC among the people of Osun state”
Calling Oyetola regime an anti-people era in Osun history, Governor Adeleke lamented the run down state of affairs when he took over the state in 2022, tagging Oyetola reign “a dark page in Osun socio-political history, a period neither labour nor any segment of our population want 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.”
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, infrastructural 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-year 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”, the governor was quoted as saying.
Governor Adeleke emphasised that his administration is 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 impressive performance of his administration across all critical sectors has earned the trust and confidence of the people, who are 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.
Governor 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-centred development.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Osun State, accused state Governor Ademola Adeleke of being needlessly and excessively jittery and restless over the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji as the governorship candidate of the party in the seamless consensus primary election.
The APC, in a statement signed by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi said Adeleke should realise that the people of the state who cannot continue to be taken for granted by his ridiculous public appearances.
“The influenced and skewed netizens on the social media being bandied by the disorganised governor as being the voices of the independent-minded people asking for his re-election are nothing but a charade which is not capable of conferring any added advantage on his k-legged aspiration.
“We understand the myriads of the intractable problems confronting the quasi-partyless Governor Adeleke as it is pretty impossible for someone to have the foreknowledge of his date of death that he would either be at peace with himself or any other person.
“It should be known to Governor Adeleke and his co-travellers that just as there are pretenders and contenders, our governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, who is not only lettered but also tested, very educated, reliable, witty and resourceful, is a serious contender who is going into the election of the 8th August, 2026, to win.
“The people of Osun State are tired of sighting mere edifices as public schools without teachers for the past three years after the governor had sacked the 1,500 teachers employed by the immediate-past administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
“Should the people of the state continue to watch helplessly as all the hospitals in the state have become mere consulting centres for lack of drugs and manpower as the governor has blatantly refused to replace the thousands of the health workers employed by his predecessor who were vindictively sacked by him immediately he assumed the mantle of leadership in the state?
“The paid canvassers for the doubtful reelection bid of Governor Adeleke should henceforth stop mistaking notoriety for popularity as it takes the blessing of the possession of a hindsight for an individual to differentiate between the two key words.
“Our advice as a party is that the embattled Governor Adeleke should start writing his handover note as all the factors that worked in his favour in the 2022 election are no longer in existence coupled with the fact that he has disappointed the former leading lights in the PDP that he dumped who facilitated his controversial election but have migrated to our party in droves.
“We are challenging Governor Adeleke to a television debate with our charismatic governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, whose submission and delivery would be sufficient enough to make the partyless Osun State governor to have a rethink on his re-election bid.”