Political hostilities have returned to Osun State as two major political parties are throwing jabs at each other ahead of the August 8, 2026, gubernatorial election.
Adeleke, who many insinuated to have been making moves to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the party primaries, was screened at the PDP National Secretariat, Legacy House, Abuja, on Friday.
The closed-door exercise had in attendance top party chieftains, including the South West Vice Chairman, Kamarudeen Ajisafe; Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi; Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye; and Commissioners Dr B.T. Salami and Rev. Bunmi Jenyo.
After the screening, Governor Adeleke expressed confidence in his administration’s achievements, stating that his government had delivered on its promises and earned the people’s trust.
“We have delivered good governance to our people in Osun. Our records and popularity are unrivalled. So we are ready for victory come 2026,” he declared.
“We have the full backing of the people. Election is about voters, and we know our people love us. We have strong faith in God and the people that we are going to secure re-election overwhelmingly.”
Adeleke further expressed optimism in the Federal Government’s readiness to ensure a credible electoral process.
“Our popularity is known nationally due to our excellent records of performance within less than three years in office. We are confident the will of the people will prevail in the best interest of democracy,” the governor added.
However, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) swiftly countered the governor’s remarks, describing the PDP screening as a “face-saving move” after what it alleged was Adeleke’s failed attempt to defect to the party.
The APC, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, urged Governor Adeleke to start preparing his handover note ahead of the 2026 poll.
The statement accused the governor of running a “shallow and mediocre administration,” alleging that over ₦60 billion had been spent on the Governor’s Office in just 35 months, without recruiting a single teacher into the state’s schools.”
The party also faulted the administration’s handling of the education sector, claiming that “no fewer than 32,000 citizens were duped of their hard-earned money under the guise of teacher recruitment,” while tertiary institutions had been forced to hike fees due to inadequate funding.
Describing Adeleke’s tenure as “riddled with misgovernance, misplaced priorities, vengeance, and wastage of resources,” the APC maintained that his re-election bid was doomed.
The statement further alleged that the governor had made several attempts to defect to the APC — claims both Adeleke and the PDP have consistently denied.
“Today’s kangaroo screening is a mere smokescreen to save Adeleke from the embarrassment his rejection by the APC generated,” the APC alleged.
“Information available to us confirms that he was still found last week, loitering around Aso Villa, begging and genuflecting for a soft landing to join the APC.”
The party insisted that no political platform could save the governor from defeat, asserting that “the people of Osun had already screened him out” based on his record in office.
“The major problem that Governor Adeleke is contending with is the fear of the array of super-qualified governorship aspirants in our party who are all individually capable of defeating him,” the statement read.
Declaring its readiness for the 2026 polls, the APC vowed to reclaim the state, saying:
“The forthcoming election is for Adeleke and his rudderless party to lose, considering the poor and unfriendly public perception of their government.”
