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Tension is rising in Osun State’s political circle as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaged in a war of words on Thursday over the screening of Governor Ademola Adeleke ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke was reportedly screened at the PDP National Secretariat, Legacy House, Abuja, alongside other governorship aspirants of the party.
The exercise, which took place behind closed doors, had in attendance top PDP leaders, including the South West Vice Chairman, Kamarudeen Ajisafe; Osun State PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi; Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye; and Commissioners Dr. B.T. Salami and Rev. Bunmi Jenyo.
After the screening, Governor Adeleke told journalists that his administration had fulfilled its campaign promises to the people and expressed confidence in securing another term in office.
“We have delivered good governance to our people in Osun. Our records and popularity are unrivalled. So we are ready for victory come 2026.
“We have the full backing of the people. Election is about voters and we know our people love us. We have strong faith in God and the people that we are going to secure re-election overwhelmingly,” he stated.
The governor also expressed optimism that the Federal Government would ensure a credible electoral process.
“Our popularity is known nationally due to our excellent records of performance within less than three years in office. We are confident the will of the people will prevail in the best interest of democracy,” Adeleke noted.
But in a swift response, the Osun State chapter of the APC described the PDP screening as a “face-saving measure” following what it alleged was Governor Adeleke’s failed attempt to defect to the party.
The APC, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said the governor should rather begin preparing his handover note, accusing his administration of poor performance and wasteful governance.
The party alleged that over ₦60 billion had been spent on the Governor’s Office within 35 months “without recruiting a single teacher into the state’s schools.”
It claimed the Adeleke administration had underfunded education, forcing tertiary institutions to raise tuition fees arbitrarily.
“No fewer than 32,000 citizens were duped of their hard-earned money under the guise of teacher recruitment,” the statement alleged.
The APC further described the governor’s performance as “riddled with misgovernance, misplaced priorities, vengeance, and wastage of resources,” adding that his re-election bid was doomed.
According to the opposition party, “Today’s kangaroo screening is a mere smokescreen to save Adeleke from the embarrassment his rejection by the APC generated. Information available to us confirms that he was still found last week loitering around Aso Villa, begging and genuflecting for a soft landing to join the APC.”
The party insisted that “no political party under which he may contest next year’s election would save him from defeat,” adding that the people of Osun had already “screened him out” based on his performance in office.
“The major problem that Governor Adeleke is contending with is the fear of the array of super-qualified governorship aspirants in our party who are all individually capable of defeating him.”
The APC declared it was prepared to reclaim power in 2026, maintaining that the coming election “is for Adeleke and his rudderless party to lose, considering the poor and unfriendly public perception of their government.”