By John Dike, Osogbo
The political temperature in Osun State heightened on Monday as the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration, and traded sharp accusations over governance, public spending and infrastructure ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
The Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the Osun 2026 Governorship Campaign Council of the APC, Remi Omowaiye, described the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as the “man with the magic wand” to rescue the state from what he termed years of mismanagement.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, Omowaiye accused the Adeleke-led administration of wasteful spending without corresponding development, alleging that the state is “in doldrums” due to poor fiscal decisions.
He said Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, would reposition Osun through industrialisation, improved agricultural productivity and implementation of the Electricity Act to boost power supply.
Omowaiye also promised that the APC would run an issue-based campaign ahead of the August 15 election, focusing on policy alternatives rather than propaganda.
In a direct attack, he alleged that several projects executed by the current administration are substandard, specifically raising concerns about the structural integrity of the Oke-Fia flyover, and challenged the governor to publish details of contractors handling state projects.
He further questioned the use of state funds, claiming that while about N92 billion had been allocated to the Governor’s Office, only about N7 billion was spent on agriculture.
The APC spokesman also described the health and education sectors as being in poor condition, alleging layoffs of medical personnel and teachers, while lamenting high tuition fees at the University of Ilesa.
On energy, he claimed Osun was yet to domesticate the Electricity Act, pledging that an APC government would address the gap and modernise the sector, including training technicians to handle electric vehicle maintenance.
Omowaiye added that the party’s candidate would revive agricultural settlements and expand agribusiness, citing Oyebamiji’s background as a farm exporter.
Supporting his position, the co-chair of the media committee, Funke Egbemode, criticised what she described as the administration’s overemphasis on roads and flyovers at the expense of other sectors, alleging a shortage of science teachers in public schools.
However, in a swift reaction, the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed Omowaiye’s claims as “a pack of lies” and “fraught with fake news.”
Rasheed defended the administration’s record, insisting that state resources had been judiciously utilised on projects and programmes acknowledged both locally and nationally.
He refuted claims that Osun had not domesticated the Electricity Act, stating that the law is already operational in the state, adding that industrialisation efforts are underway through the revival of free trade zones abandoned by the previous APC administration.
The governor’s aide also dismissed allegations of defects on the Oke-Fia flyover, asserting that the project meets both local and international engineering standards.
He, however, countered that the Olaiya Bridge project supervised during Omowaiye’s tenure had been flagged for structural concerns requiring load management.
On transparency, Rasheed maintained that contractors handling government projects are publicly known, accusing the APC spokesman of undermining local contractors who, he said, have delivered quality jobs across the state.
He further clarified that security votes were not misused, stressing that such funds are deployed strictly to support security agencies and address communal crises.
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“We challenge the opposition to run a fact-based campaign. Their statements are riddled with half-truths,” Rasheed said.
He added that the current administration has improved Osun’s rankings in key sectors, including education, primary healthcare access and water supply, arguing that the governor remains a better alternative to his challengers.
With both camps digging in, the exchanges signal an intensifying political contest as Osun heads toward the 2026 governorship election.
