Gov Adeleke Breaks Silence on N3.1bn Travel Claims—Blames Political Enemies for ‘False Narrative’

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has dismissed recent allegations suggesting his administration spent N3.1 billion on travel within a six-month period. The claim, which has circulated widely across media platforms, insinuated that the reported figure dwarfed budgetary allocations to several other ministries and state agencies.

According to iReporter Online, Governor Adeleke, through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Olawale Rasheed, categorically denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated, misleading, and factually incorrect.

The statement clarified that the amount cited was not solely designated for travel expenses. Instead, it represented a consolidated annual budget covering training, capacity development, and operational overheads for over 100 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across the state.

“There are no smoking guns,” the statement emphasized, asserting that the reports were part of a failed attempt by opposition elements to distort legitimate and necessary government expenditures tied to official assignments and institutional development.

Governor Adeleke was also quoted as saying that expenditures tied to training and official travel are standard components of the state’s consolidated financial planning and not limited to the Office of the Governor.

He further urged the public to assess the long-term developmental value of such investments, particularly in areas that enhance governance capacity and attract foreign interest.

Detailing some of the official trips made in 2025, the statement highlighted the governor’s attendance at the Commonwealth Business Investment Conference, during which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with ESG Management Services UK Ltd. The deal is expected to spur investments in agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing, and other priority sectors.

It was also noted that numerous training programmes for state institutions were conducted earlier in the year, in anticipation of an expected uptick in political activity ahead of the 2026 election cycle.