Osun 2026: Adeleke urges Osun voters to resist rigging, slams APC
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on residents to resist alleged attempts at election manipulation, accusing the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of pursuing anti-people policies while in office.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on residents to resist alleged attempts at election manipulation, accusing the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of pursuing anti-people policies while in office.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor made the remarks at an endorsement programme held at Freedom Park in Osogbo.
Addressing supporters, Adeleke urged voters to safeguard their ballots during the forthcoming governorship election. He alleged that the Osun chapter of the APC had a history of anti-people actions both in and out of government and called on residents to mobilise and defend their votes against what he described as “electoral bandits.”
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“When they were in power, they misruled and misgoverned. We came in and implemented pro-people policies, programmes, and projects. Now they are seeking to steal elections and force their way into power. Resist them with your ballots,” he said.
The governor encouraged citizens to turn out in large numbers on Election Day and remain vigilant at polling units. He alleged that vote-buying may occur and advised residents to report such incidents to law enforcement authorities.
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Adeleke defended his administration’s record, stating that his government had cleared outstanding half salaries and pension arrears, which, according to him, critics had claimed were impossible to settle. He also accused the previous administration of abandoning key infrastructure projects.
“They said Ile-Ife does not deserve a flyover bridge. They ignored Ilesa’s request for the dualisation of the Palace to Brewery junction road. In their governance, impossibility was their watchword. In our government, impossibility became a possibility,” he said.
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The governor listed infrastructure upgrades across Iwo, Ilesa, Ila-Orangun, Ile-Ife, and Ikirun, adding that Osogbo had witnessed significant transformation under his leadership.
He further claimed that his administration had approved nearly N4 billion for the cooperative movement and had so far disbursed close to N2 billion. According to him, the last time a government granted financial support to cooperatives on such a scale was in 1952.
Adeleke also alleged that about N230 billion in Osun local government funds had been diverted, a development he said disrupted grassroots administration and imposed hardship on workers and pensioners.
The statement noted that the Osun State Cooperative Movement endorsed the governor for a second term, citing his commitment to expanding cooperative activities across the state. The umbrella body represents over seven million cooperative members statewide.
The event was attended by Deputy Governor Prince Kola Adewusi; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun; Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye; Head of Service, Samuel Ayanleye; members of the State Executive Council, and other dignitaries.
