The All Progressives Congress in Osun State on Monday accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of mismanaging over N1tn in less than three years, alleging poor investment in critical sectors, particularly agriculture.
The opposition party said despite what it described as “unprecedented revenue inflows” under the current administration, there has been little to show in terms of infrastructure, economic growth, and social development.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued in Osogbo by the APC Governorship Campaign Council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oluremi Omowaiye, who claimed that the Adeleke-led government had prioritised non-essential spending over developmental projects.
Omowaiye specifically alleged that about N92bn was spent on “wining and dining,” describing the expenditure as wasteful and insensitive amid challenges facing key sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare and infrastructure.
“A government that commits such enormous resources to frivolities while neglecting productive sectors like agriculture is not only irresponsible but also insensitive to the needs of its people,” he said.
He further accused the administration of withholding details of a purported N57.6bn debt relief granted to the state by the Federal Government, insisting that residents deserved full disclosure on public finances.
“The people of Osun deserve transparency. It is unacceptable that such a huge financial relief is being hidden from public scrutiny,” Omowaiye added.
The APC spokesman, however, presented the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as a credible alternative, promising a focus on agriculture, education, healthcare, transportation and power.
He said the candidate would leverage recent reforms in the electricity sector to boost power generation and drive industrial growth in the state.
Omowaiye also disclosed plans to reintroduce car loans for civil servants, revive food support programmes and promote affordable housing through mortgage schemes if the APC returns to power.
Clarifying past controversies, he said the half-salary regime in the state predated Oyebamiji’s tenure as Commissioner for Finance, noting that it began in 2015, two years before his appointment.
He added that a payroll audit referenced by critics was commissioned by the current administration in 2023, insisting that its findings should not be attributed to the previous government.
On education, Omowaiye maintained that the University of Ilesa was established under the immediate past administration, contrary to claims by government supporters.
He also dismissed insinuations that local government allocations were being withheld, stating that funds were being released to duly elected council chairmen.
The APC spokesman further argued that security management is a shared responsibility among federal, state and local governments, questioning how the state had expended about N15bn in security votes if it claimed limited responsibility in that area.
He urged the state government to clarify issues surrounding the alleged debt relief and called on the media to uphold professionalism in reporting.
Efforts to get a response from the Adeleke administration were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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