By Jude Opara
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Bashiru, has urged Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to abandon what he described as “politics of bitterness” and focus on issue-based campaigning ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Bashiru reacted to comments allegedly made by Governor Adeleke during a campaign rally, in which the governor accused President Bola Tinubu and former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of failing to address alleged security concerns in the state.
According to Bashiru, Adeleke had claimed that extrajudicial killings were taking place in Osun State and appealed to President Tinubu to intervene.
Quoting the governor, Bashiru said Adeleke also warned against election manipulation and referenced the political crisis of 1983.
> “President Bola Tinubu, something is happening in Osun that you have not moved to put an end to. They are killing our people. You are the President; you are the father of all of us. Osun has said it won’t allow rigging.
> “There won’t be rigging in Osun. Remember what happened in 1983. It started in Yorubaland when they cheated Bola Ige and Adekunle Ajasin. Osun will not agree. We want a free and fair election. President Tinubu, I am passing this message to you. We have endorsed you; why are they still killing us?” Adeleke was quoted as saying.
Responding, Bashiru dismissed the governor’s allegations, describing them as baseless and politically motivated.
He challenged Adeleke to campaign on his administration’s achievements if he believed he deserved a second term, arguing that it was unusual for a sitting governor to raise concerns about election rigging less than two weeks before the poll.
According to the APC chieftain, the governor’s statements reflected anxiety over a possible electoral defeat.
Bashiru further alleged that the Adeleke administration had little to showcase in terms of governance, claiming that more than 20 roads across the state remained in poor condition while the education sector faced a shortage of about 30,000 teachers.
He argued that rehabilitating critical road infrastructure would have stimulated economic activities, while addressing the teacher deficit would have created employment opportunities and strengthened the education sector.
The APC National Secretary also claimed that the increasing support for the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), as reflected in campaign rally attendance, had unsettled the governor.
Bashiru accused Adeleke of resorting to what he called “cheap blackmail” to attract public sympathy ahead of the election.
“The unsubstantiated allegations by Governor Adeleke against President Tinubu and former Governor Oyetola are misplaced, frivolous and intended to justify what appears to be his imminent defeat in the forthcoming governorship election,” Bashiru said.
He also questioned the governor’s handling of security matters, alleging that the Osun State Government House had become a refuge for political hoodlums and accusing the administration of appointing suspected political thugs to government positions.
Bashiru further alleged that the governor had granted amnesty to some individuals serving prison terms for political-related offences, describing the move as questionable.
The APC secretary maintained that political campaigns should be centred on policies, governance records and solutions to the challenges facing the people of Osun, rather than inflammatory rhetoric and unverified allegations.
The Osun State governorship election is scheduled to hold on August 15, 2026.
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