By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of misleading the public over claims that five security drones purchased during the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola could not be accounted for.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, the opposition party described the governor’s allegation as false and politically motivated, insisting that no drones were purchased by the Oyetola administration throughout its four-year tenure.
The APC said Governor Adeleke was attempting to shift public attention away from what it described as his administration’s failures in governance and security management by making what it called unfounded allegations against his predecessor.
According to the statement, the governor’s claim that drones acquired under the previous administration had gone missing was a fabrication aimed at scoring political points and misleading members of the public.
It said, “The members of the public should discountenance Governor Adeleke’s blatant lie about the purchase of the drones by former Governor Oyetola,
“The former governor never purchased any drone throughout his tenure, and we challenge Governor Adeleke and his associates to produce documents proving otherwise.”
APC further argued that despite spending more than three years in office, Governor Adeleke had continued to blame the previous administration for challenges confronting the state instead of providing solutions.
The party expressed disappointment that, as the governor’s tenure approaches its final months, his administration was still engaging in what it termed “lies and subterfuge” rather than focusing on governance and accountability.
The statement also warned that the governor should be held responsible for any future security breaches in the state, contending that he could not continue to attribute security challenges to the administration that left office in 2022.
The opposition party questioned the whereabouts of security assets allegedly inherited by the Adeleke administration, including Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles procured during Oyetola’s tenure.
“The people of the state should ask the governor what happened to all the Armoured Personnel Carrier vehicles inherited from the former administration,” the statement added.
The APC also criticized the governor’s management of security resources, alleging that substantial security votes had been expended without commensurate results in safeguarding lives and property.
The controversy follows recent discussions by the state government on strengthening security architecture through technological tools and surveillance equipment as concerns grow over criminal activities in parts of the state and the wider South-West region.
As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Government had not issued an official response to the APC’s latest allegations.
The exchange marks another chapter in the ongoing political rivalry between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in Osun State and the opposition APC ahead of the state’s governorship election, with both sides continuing to trade accusations over governance, security and public accountability.
