The Osun State chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have engaged in a war of words following Governor Ademola Adeleke’s comments at the South-West Stakeholders’ Dialogue held in Akure, Ondo State.
The APC accused Governor Adeleke of attacking President Bola Tinubu over alleged marginalisation of Osun State and the withholding of local government funds, while the PDP insisted that no such attack occurred.
In a statement signed by the Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the party cautioned Governor Adeleke to desist from blaming President Tinubu for his alleged failures in governance.
The APC alleged that the governor has made it a habit to hold the President responsible for his administration’s shortcomings, citing the recent Akure summit as an example.
According to the statement, “It has become the stock-in-trade for the Osun State satellite governor to unjustifiably hold the nation’s President responsible for his inability to perform his statutory duties as governor.”
Olabisi stated that Adeleke accused the Federal Government of undermining the Constitution by withholding Osun’s local government funds despite a subsisting court order and of marginalising the state in federal dealings.
He further claimed that the President deserved credit for Adeleke’s achievements in the education and health sectors, listing various federal interventions in Osun State.
“The Tinubu-led Federal Government has devoted no less than N10 billion on education and health programmes of the Adeleke government, in addition to TETFUND and UBEC projects worth billions,” Olabisi said.
The APC spokesperson also accused Adeleke of mismanaging state resources while shifting blame to the Federal Government.
“A governor who is forcing poor and struggling parents to pay N1.5 million per session in state universities and spending N13 billion on luxury cars for politicians should not blame anyone for failure,” he stated.
However, in a swift reaction, the Osun State PDP dismissed the APC’s allegations as false and malicious, insisting that Governor Adeleke never attacked President Tinubu at the Akure summit.
In a counter statement signed by the Osun PDP Director of Media, Hezekiah Oladele Bamiji, the party described the APC’s claims as a figment of imagination of an ingrate called Kola Olabisi.
The PDP maintained that the governor’s presentation was focused on intergovernmental relations and constitutional issues, not a personal attack on the President.
“Throughout the speech at Akure, there was never an attack on Mr President but details about what Osun State is passing through within the context of intergovernmental relations,” the PDP said.
The party added that Governor Adeleke holds deep respect for President Tinubu, describing him as “a leader of the Yoruba race deserving of regard and civility.”
The party reiterated that Adeleke’s remarks were aimed at strengthening federal-state cooperation rather than provoking political tension.
“We urge the public to disregard the falsehood being circulated by the opposition,” the PDP concluded.
DAILY POST gathered that at the Akure summit, Governor Adeleke who was represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi had canvassed for the protection of the rights of the sub-national governments as a deliberate strategy to deepen democratic practices and sustenance of democracy.
Delivering an address at the South West Summit organised by Afenifere in partnership with the new Dawn Commission in Akure, Governor Adeleke said party differences should not warrant unfair treatment of any sub-national government, stressing that collaboration for development should be the operating norms.