Osun APC Criticizes Adeleke: You’re Unfit To Champion Free And Fair Elections (Text)

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized Governor Ademola Adeleke following his Democracy Day speech, questioning his credibility as an advocate of free and fair elections and the rule of law. The APC alleged that Adeleke’s governorship victory in 2022 was the result of electoral rigging and violence.

Governor Adeleke, in his Democracy Day message, emphasized the importance of free and fair elections to honor the memory of the late MKO Abiola and other democratic heroes. He condemned election rigging and called for respect for the will of the people.

However, APC Chairman Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, accused Adeleke of hypocrisy. Lawal claimed that Adeleke’s administration had engaged in political victimization and autocratic practices, citing the sacking of legally enthroned Obas and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adepele Ojo, as examples.

Lawal also criticized Adeleke’s decision to dismiss 20,000 O’YES cadets, teachers, and health workers at the beginning of his administration, arguing that these actions contradicted his professed commitment to justice and fairness. Additionally, Lawal questioned the prioritization of constructing five flyovers in a state facing severe poverty and hunger.

He further accused Adeleke of denying November 2022 salaries to public servants who worked for his predecessor as a form of political retribution.

The APC’s reaction underscores the ongoing political tensions in Osun State, with sharp disagreements over governance and the integrity of the electoral process.