...the People Have Seen the Difference, Felt the Change and Shown Their Love for Governor Adeleke Once Again
The attention of the Osun Accord Youth Rangers, the Youth and Students Campaign Team for the Relection of Governor Adeleke has been drawn to the recent statement issued by the Osun State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claiming that Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke’s political movement is “futile” ahead of the 2026 election. While this would ordinarily not require a response, the volume of misinformation being circulated exhibits that their handlers are suffering from a convenient amnesia. It is therefore necessary to restate the facts for public clarity.
First, before Governor Adeleke assumed office, Osun State had already been pushed into a deep financial crisis by the previous leadership, most notably, their helsman. Public records confirm that:
1. Over ₦76 billion in accumulated salary arrears, pension backlogs and insurance liabilities were inherited by the current administration.
2. The State’s domestic and foreign debt stock pushed Osun’s total indebtedness to above ₦400 billion at the point of transition.
3. Civil servants endured years of half-salary payments and poor welfare conditions, leaving the public service demoralised.
4. Basic infrastructure and social amenities, including healthcare and education facilities, suffered serious neglect.
These are documented facts published across major national newspapers and confirmed in official government handover records. No amount of political posturing can rewrite this history.
Second, since assuming office, Governor Adeleke has been consistently addressing these inherited problems. The government has been clearing backlog payments, restoring pensions, settling half-salary debts and reducing the overall debt burden of the State. Thousands of families across Osun can testify to the relief and dignity these efforts have restored after years of financial hardship. This is the same administration the ADC now attempts to discredit for political convenience.
Third, it is surprising that the ADC appears absent-minded to the reality across the State. The overwhelming love Osun people have for Governor Adeleke is clear, genuine and grounded in their lived experience. The massive show of support witnessed again today after the primary election further confirms the Governor’s solid street credibility. The people know who paid their long-withheld salaries. They know who restored their pensions. They know who governs with empathy and fairness.
Finally, Accord remains a credible and rising platform, strengthened by youth energy, broad goodwill and the performance of a government correcting years of mismanagement. Those predicting futility should instead confront their own credibility challenges rather than issuing empty warnings.
Osun people deserve leadership rooted in truth, not memory-loss politics. They demand facts, not fiction. And they will make their position unmistakably clear again in 2026.
Signed:
Babawale Jamiu POPOOLA
DG, Osun Accord Youth Rangers
December 10, 2025