By Deborah Nnamdi
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has launched a sharp critique of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, describing his eight-year administration as the “worst in Osun’s history.”
Adeleke’s comments were a direct response to Aregbesola’s recent remarks during a meeting with supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Osogbo, where the former governor vowed that the ADC would unseat the current administration in the 2026 governorship election.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke dismissed Aregbesola’s statement as an empty boast and accused him of presiding over a period marked by hardship, financial mismanagement, and the breakdown of public institutions.
“The empty boast of Mr. Aregbesola about 2026 reflects a troubled conscience—fighting both his benefactor and the legacy of suffering he imposed on millions of Osun residents through harmful policies,” the statement read.
Adeleke criticized Aregbesola for implementing policies that negatively affected workers’ welfare, notably the controversial half-salary policy. He also accused the former governor of misusing contributory pension funds and withholding cooperative deductions from civil servants.
“A man who should be remorseful and offer public apologies for years of maladministration now dares to attack a government that is addressing his failures—by paying backlogged salaries, settling unjustified debts, and restoring dignity to civil servants,” the statement continued.
According to Adeleke, his administration has paid 28 months’ worth of half salaries owed by the previous government and has cleared nearly ₦60 billion in outstanding pension liabilities.
He also blamed Aregbesola for plunging the state into a debt crisis that continues to strain Osun’s finances.
“Our people are fully aware that the most difficult era in Osun’s history was under Mr. Aregbesola—a time when pensioners died in despair and livelihoods were destroyed,” Adeleke said.
Using sharp language, the governor likened Aregbesola to “a shrew unaware of his stench,” and warned that the 2026 election would serve as a referendum on the former governor’s time in office.
“No voter in Osun is eager to return to those dark days. The people will hold him and his allies accountable for the pain they inflicted.”
The escalating exchange between Adeleke and Aregbesola signals an early and intense buildup to the 2026 governorship race in Osun State.
