Osun needs CEO, not entertainer- Tinubu’s aide

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Presidency has thrown its weight behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, describing him as the candidate best suited to manage the state’s affairs.
Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said Osun needs a chief executive officer capable of managing the state’s finances and resources rather than an entertainer or professional campaigner.
Ajayi made the remarks in a post on X on Wednesday while reacting to the Arise TV town hall meeting involving candidates contesting Saturday’s governorship election.
The APC candidate is facing competition from Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, who is contesting under the Accord Party.
Assessing the candidates’ performances at the town hall, Ajayi declared his support for Oyebamiji, arguing that the APC candidate demonstrated a stronger grasp of governance and public administration.
“That is a useful way to look at the Osun election. The state is not recruiting an entertainer, a professional campaigner or a permanent opposition politician, but a CEO,” Ajayi said.
He described Osun State as a financially constrained public enterprise that requires a chief executive capable of making sound managerial and fiscal decisions.
According to him, Oyebamiji performed better when assessed on policy articulation, knowledge of facts, fiscal realism and managerial competence.
Ajayi said the APC candidate appeared to understand governance primarily as a management responsibility rather than simply an avenue for political performance.
The Presidency’s endorsement adds another layer to the increasingly competitive race ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with the major candidates intensifying their campaigns in the final days before the poll.