Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on Monday, July 14, lashed out at his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, branding his eight-year administration as “the worst in Osun’s history” and accusing him of inflicting widespread hardship on the people.
The outburst followed comments made by Aregbesola on Sunday, June 13, during a meeting with supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Osogbo, where he boasted that the ADC would unseat Adeleke in the 2026 governorship election.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke described Aregbesola’s comments as delusional and hypocritical, stating that the former governor has no moral ground to speak on leadership or governance.
“The empty boast of Mr. Aregbesola about 2026 is a symptom of a troubled mind battling his benefactor and haunted by the suffering he inflicted on millions of Osun people through his evil policies and programmes,” Adeleke said.
He accused Aregbesola of presiding over a legacy of “financial wreckage, institutional decay, and human abuse,” alleging that the former governor’s actions led to the suffering and death of several civil servants and pensioners in the state.
“A man who should be remorseful and tender public apologies for his years of maladministration has the audacity to attack a governor who is paying up the half salary affliction, clearing unjustified debts, and rehabilitating brutalized Osun workers,” the statement continued.
Adeleke revealed that his administration has paid 28 months of half salaries owed by Aregbesola’s government and has cleared nearly ₦60 billion in pension arrears. He said the current financial strain on the state was a direct consequence of Aregbesola’s governance.
He continued: “Osun people know the truth. They have not forgotten those horrific days of hunger, hopelessness, and massive infrastructure destruction through phony and inflated contracts.”
He further accused Aregbesola of operating an “administration of propaganda and lies” that deceived the people with rhetoric while failing to deliver meaningful development.
“Our people are smart enough to know that the worst era for Osun State is that of Mr. Aregbesola, under whom many pensioners lost their lives and thousands of livelihoods were disrupted,” Adeleke declared.
He also took a swipe at Aregbesola’s political manoeuvres, stating: “Osun people know the difference between light and darkness. They know the day and night. They know the difference between genuine love for the people and political deceit. The liar has no memory, and Aregbesola is one.”
Describing the former governor as a “shrew who doesn’t realize he’s smelling,” Adeleke warned that the next election cycle would be a moment of reckoning.
He said, “2026 is payback time. Osun people are not fools. No voter in Osun is ready for a return to the evil days. The people will punish the former Governor and his party for willfully inflicting pain on them.”
