Osun Politics: PDP, APC In Close Marking Face-Off

• Other Parties Remain Silent

Senator Ademola Adeleke became the 6th elected Governor of Osun State on November 27, 2022, after he took the oath of office and allegiance administered on him and his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi by the Osun State Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo, at a well-attended event.

Adeleke had defeated his predecessor and then incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Although Oyetola challenged the election results up to the Supreme Court, the Apex court on May 09, 2023, affirmed Adeleke as the winner of the July 16, 2022 election.

Even though the major opposition party in the state (APC) had been playing its role before the Supreme Court judgment, it further intensified after it was clear there was no way back for the party, at least till 2026.

APC in the state has gone to allege, condemn, advise and berate the governor on some of his policies and programmes for the state with a week hardly passing by without the media team of the state government having to react to the opposition.

While some felt the constant allegations by the APC were a way of distracting the Governor and hiding their own failure at the poll, others believed that the state government needed a viable opposition like the APC to stay on its toes and deliver good governance.

The allegations and counter-allegations from the opposition and the ruling party have dominated the political space in Osun in the last five months, with supporters of the two parties finding a ground to defend their own and observers enjoying the ride.

Osun Defender highlighted some of the allegations by the opposition APC and how they were responded to by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the last few months.

1. APC Condemns Governor Adeleke’s Six Executive Orders

The first act of condemnation by the All Progressives Congress was on the Six Executive Orders Governor Adeleke issued on November 28, 2022.

In his first official action as governor, Adeleke announced the sacking of alleged 12,000 workers employed by his predecessor.

He also deposed three monarchs and allegedly ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return of local council chairmen elected under the APC in the October 15 local government elections conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission.

However, APC condemned the governor for reversing some appointments and job recruitments made by his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola.

Reacting to APC’s condemnation, Adeleke through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, noted that the orders were meant to dismantle illegalities and “clean up the mess” the governor inherited.

2. APC Accuses Adeleke Of Refusing To Distribute FG Palliative

On August 18, 2023, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress accused the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, of refusing to distribute bags of rice received from the Federal Government as palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on the people.

APC noted that Adeleke was playing a dangerous game by refusing to disclose or distribute the items.

The party further said five trailer-loads of rice with other items donated by the FG were sent to Osun as the state’s shares of the people’s palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

A statement signed by APC state Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, however, wondered that the state government, after receiving the items, refused to announce to the people of Osun that it has taken possession of the FG’s palliative.

The statement compelled the state government to come out and respond through the Commissioner for Information and Public Engagement, Mr. Kolapo Alimi.

Although the state government described APC’s claim as propaganda and that the state was still expecting the second batch of the palliative, the state government on August 29, 2023, through its palliative committee in partnership with the Ministry of Special Duties and Regional Integration, announced the commencement of the distribution of the subsidised rice palliative to residents of the state.

Some political analysts believed the calling out of the government by the APC speed up the distribution of the rice.

3. APC Alleges Adeleke Of Appropriating State Funds Without Holding Excos Meeting

The Osun APC on September 11, 2023, came out firing at the Governor, accusing him of appropriating funds for the running of the state without holding the state executive meetings.

APC said the state government’s failure to hold a State Executive Council meeting, showed that the governor is only attracted to the glamour of being the state governor without having concrete developmental plans for the state.

In reaction to the APC’s accusations, Governor Adeleke on September 15, 2023, chaired the maiden State EXCO meeting where he issued Performance Monitoring Template to cabinet members. He has since held the meeting five times after the first one.

4. APC Lambasts Adeleke Over His N100 billion Infrastructural Plan, Described Him As A Scam

Governor Ademola Adeleke on October 27, 2023, announced his administration’s plan to spend a sum of N100 billion on infrastructural amenities across the state in the next 12 months.

Adeleke listed projects that include five flyovers, 45-kilometre roads across the 30 local government areas, and rehabilitation of health centres and schools, in his one-year infrastructure plan for Osun.

But the APC described Adeleke’s plan as a “scam skilfully designed to enrich some economic buccaneers close to the government.”

The APC said the citizens deserve to know the source of the funding and the modality for its settlement since Adeleke had declared that he would not borrow to finance the projects.

Responding Osun PDP, described APC’s position on Adeleke’s infrastructural plan as ill-intentioned one to a development agenda adjudged to be commendable, long overdue and sustainable for Osun’s economic revival.

The PDP said a project account has been created into which savings from leakages, refunds, and infra-related interventions were being lodged and it will serve as the source of funding the projects.

5: Osun APC, Adeleke Bicker On Gov’s 1st Year In Office

On November 27, 2023, Adeleke celebrated one year in office as the governor of Osun State.

However, the governor was not around to celebrate the day as he travelled for a medical and working vacation to Europe and Asia according to his spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the opposition APC alleged that Governor Ademola Adeleke travelled abroad ahead of the first anniversary of his administration to avoid giving an account of his stewardship.

The party alleged that Adeleke had run the state aground since taking the mantle of leadership on November 27, 2022.

The APC leader accused the governor of lying about his whereabouts, saying the governor went abroad because he was afraid of facing the people after he mismanaged the revenue accrued to the state in the last year.

But Adeleke, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, declared that his administration surpassed the annual good governance target it set while assuming office.

He said the opposition APC was still nursing the wound of their electoral defeat and ashamed to see the positive changes his administration was recording in the state.

6: Food Poisoning Saga

About 18 pupils of James Primary School B, Osogbo, Osun State, on December 11, allegedly suffered from food poisoning after eating the mid-day meal served to them in their school, under the government free school feeding programme.

The State Government and the All Progressives Congress traded blame following the incident which led to the pupils being treated in a hospital.

Osun APC while commenting on the incident, warned Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to stop toying with the lives of the school pupils with the substandard food being served the pupils by the vendors under the school feeding programme.

APC noted that the incident was a cumulative effect of the lackadaisical approach of the man at the helm of affairs in the state.

But the state Commissioner for Education, Mr Dipo Eluwole, said over 100 pupils were served the food and wondered why only about 11 of them living within the same compound were the only ones affected.

Eluwole, who denied the food poisoning allegations said the incident had a political undertone.

Many more accusations and counter-accusations are expected in the year 2024 and residents would hope it would be for the development of the state.

The most recent was on the six white papers released on the Chieftaincy Affairs Review Committee, Contracts/MOU/Agreements Review Committee, Solid Minerals Committee, Assets Inventory and Recovery Committee, Staff Audit /Appointments/ Promotions review Committee, as well as that of the Education Summit.

The statement signed by Kolapo Alimi, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenement, announced the nullification of the selection process of the Aree of Iree, Oba Oluponle Ademola and the Owa of Igbajo, Oba Gboyega Famodun, while declaring the stool of the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Yinusa Akadiri vacant.

The APC described the decisions as political, while the state government and ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) posited that the white papers approved by the State Executive Council, were in the right direction.

Osun Defender noted that so far so good, only the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been speaking on trending issues in the state, while the other parties have remained silent on happenings in and around the state.