- Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke has pointed fingers at APC President Ganduje of plotting to destabilise the South West region ahead of 2026 elections
- He further said that Ganduje’s comments on “seizing Osun in 2026” threaten peace and unity in the state
- Governor Adeleke then called on President Tinubu to address Ganduje’s divisive rhetoric and protect the democratic values of the South West
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National President of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of attempting to destabilise the South West region and undermine President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
The accusation follows Ganduje’s comments about “seizing Osun in 2026” after the APC’s victory in the recent Ondo State governorship election.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 18, Adeleke condemned Ganduje’s remarks as anti-democratic and said they posed a threat to the peace and unity of the South West.
The statement, signed by Adeleke’s media aide Olawale Rasheed, responds directly to Ganduje’s declaration, which appeared to challenge the political stability of the region ahead of the 2026 Osun State gubernatorial elections.
Adeleke said Ganduje’s pledge to take control of Osun was rooted in dissatisfaction with the South West’s support for President Tinubu, and that the APC national chairman was attempting to stoke political tensions to destabilse the region as part of a broader political strategy for the 2027 general elections.
“Ganduje’s comments are not just divisive; they are fundamentally anti-democratic,” Adeleke said, emphasising that the APC national chairman’s approach was at odds with President Tinubu’s democratic values.
“As a seasoned politician, one would have expected Dr. Ganduje to understand that electoral outcomes are determined by local factors. What works in Edo and Ondo is not necessarily applicable to Osun State,” Adeleke continued.
The Osun governor highlighted that local dynamics, including regional grievances and interests, play a major role in shaping voter behavior, and that such dynamics must be respected by all political actors.
He pointed to the example of Kano State, where the Kwankwasiyya group led by Rabiu Kwankwaso had consistently outperformed Ganduje’s faction despite the latter’s eight years in office as governor.
“Ganduje failed in his own state due to internal resistance; if he couldn’t win over his own people in Kano, how does he expect to disregard the will of the people of Osun, who overwhelmingly endorsed me in 2022?
“Osun is the heart of the Yoruba people, where political freedom is sacred, and we have a long-standing tradition of resisting electoral fraud,” Adeleke added.
Adeleke also expressed concern that Ganduje’s actions could be part of a broader scheme to undermine President Tinubu’s leadership, accusing him of being an "insider threat" to the president’s agenda.
“If Ganduje truly supports President Tinubu, why is he trying to destabilize the president’s home region with open threats to violate electoral laws and deny citizens their rights to vote?” Adeleke said, adding that such moves ran counter to the democratic principles that President Tinubu stood for.
Adeleke then invited Ganduje to better understand the political realities of Osun, stressing that the state’s political landscape was unique, and strategies that worked in Edo or Ondo would not succeed there.
“What works in other states will not work in Osun,” he warned.
Mamman, Melaye, 3 other Nigerian politicians who have collapsed in the face of corruption allegations
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that collapsing in the face of law and accountability by politicians had become quite notable in Nigeria.
Former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman joined the exclusive club by collapsing during his arraignment for an alleged N33 billion fraud. The report compiled other politicians who have also become known for their dramatic collapse.
