Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has launched a blistering attack on his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, labeling his eight-year administration as the “worst in Osun’s history.”
Adeleke’s sharp criticism came in reaction to comments made by Aregbesola on Sunday while addressing members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Osogbo. The former governor had declared that the ADC was prepared to dislodge Adeleke and reclaim the state’s leadership in 2026.
But in a strongly worded statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Monday, Governor Adeleke dismissed Aregbesola’s remarks as “empty boasts” from a man haunted by his record of “evil policies and programmes.”
“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,” the statement read.
Adeleke accused Aregbesola of financial recklessness, citing the controversial half salary policy, mismanagement of pension funds, and failure to remit cooperative deductions to civil servants.
He claimed his administration has paid 28 months of the salary arrears left behind by Aregbesola, cleared nearly ₦60 billion in pension debt, and worked to restore dignity to the state’s civil service.
“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 off the half-salary affliction and rehabilitating brutalized Osun workers,” Adeleke fired back.
The governor also blamed Aregbesola for plunging Osun into unsustainable debt, which continues to strain the state’s financial stability.
“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 said.
In a particularly scathing remark, Adeleke described his predecessor as “a shrew who doesn’t realize he’s smelling,” warning that the 2026 election would be a “payback year.”
“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.”
The exchange signals the beginning of what promises to be a heated build-up to the 2026 Osun governorship election, as both camps prepare for a fierce political showdown.
