Adeleke slams Aregbesola’s threats, accusing the ex-governor of wrecking Osun with debt, half salaries, and abandoned projects as 2026 showdown looms
Adeleke slams Aregbesola’s threats in a fiery response to comments made by former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who reportedly vowed to unseat the incumbent in 2026.
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Reacting through his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Governor Ademola Adeleke condemned Aregbesola’s statement as delusional and shameless, given the trail of hardship he allegedly left behind during his administration.
In a statement released in Osogbo, Adeleke reminded the former governor that Osun people have not forgotten the eight years of what he called “anti-people, thoughtless leadership.”
The governor described Aregbesola’s time in office as the worst in the history of the state.
“The empty boast of Mr Aregbesola about 2026 is a symptom of a troubled mind who sees wrong vision, who is battling his benefactor and who is haunted by the pains and suffering he inflicted on millions of Osun people through his evil policies and programmes,” the statement read.
Adeleke slams Aregbesola’s threats by listing the alleged legacies of hardship and mismanagement under the former governor.
These included mounting state debt, unpaid salaries, inflated and uncompleted projects, and mismanagement of pension and cooperative funds.
“A man who should be remorseful and tender public apologies for his years of maladministration has the audacity to threaten Governor Adeleke, who is clearing the mess left behind,” Rasheed stated.
According to the statement, Adeleke’s government has paid 28 months of outstanding half salaries, cleared nearly ₦60 billion in pension debt, and rehabilitated thousands of workers affected by what it termed Aregbesola’s “wickedness.”
2026 is payback time when Osun people will punish the former Governor and his new party for wilfully inflicting pains and suffering on Osun people.
In less than three years, the Adeleke administration has reportedly completed more infrastructure projects than Aregbesola did in eight, without borrowing a single naira.
The Debt Management Office, the statement noted, confirmed that Osun’s debt has been reduced by 40 percent under the current government.
Adeleke slams Aregbesola’s threats further by listing current achievements: the construction of 200 kilometres of roads, rehabilitation of over 200 schools and health centres, free health insurance for over 30,000 pensioners, and more than 60,000 surgeries provided at no cost to residents.
Rasheed challenged Aregbesola to visit the sites of projects he failed to complete, such as the dualisation of Palace to Brewery Junction in Ilesa.
He also pointed to the ongoing flyover projects in Ile-Ife and Osogbo, and dualisation works in Iwo, as examples of Adeleke’s delivery on governance.
“Osun people know their present and past Governors,” the statement said.
“The worst era for Osun was under Aregbesola, when pensioners died in misery, lives were disrupted, and the state was dragged into a debt hole.”
It added that voters are not ready to return to what it described as the “dark days.”
The Adeleke administration, according to Rasheed, has been recognised for its policies on local content, fiscal discipline, and pro-people governance.
“Mr Aregbesola is a shrew who does not know that he is smelling,” the statement concluded.
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“2026 is payback time when Osun people will punish him and his new party for eight years of inflicted suffering.”
