The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, claiming he has failed in all aspects of governance.

?It has been a failure in every aspect. The government lacks focus, and the leadership structure is unclear,? said the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, who spoke in an interview with Sunday PUNCH.

However, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and a leader of the party in Osun State, Diran Odeyemi, disputed Basiru?s remarks, stating that Adeleke?s accomplishments in the state were evident even to the blind.

Odeyemi also stated that Adeleke had no interest in joining the APC and suggested that Basiru was still grappling with the defeat the APC suffered at the hands of the PDP in 2018.

Basiru, who is an aspirant vying for the APC ticket in the 2026 governorship election in the state, insisted that Adeleke?s performance wasn?t impressive.

He said, ?There are serious issues, particularly in education and health. For example, thousands of teachers were sacked without replacements, causing significant disruption in schools. The health sector is also struggling, with no replacements for those sacked, and the health insurance scheme has collapsed.

Security in the state is also deteriorating, with communal clashes and poorly planned infrastructure projects damaging local economies. Our people are tired of the Osun government as currently led by Adeleke. And they will reject him.?

When asked if Adeleke is planning to join the APC ahead of the 2026 governorship election, Basiru stated that he was not aware of such move.

?I don?t know those calling on Adeleke to join APC, and certainly I am not one of them. As far as I know, he has not formally approached us about joining the APC. If that changes, we will address it then,? he stated

In response, Odeyemi stated that the APC scribe was out of touch with reality and the people of Osun.

The PDP leader emphasised that Adeleke defeated the APC in 2018 and will do so again in 2026, further asserting that he has no reason to join the ruling party.

He said, ?Ajibola Basiru is still suffering from the defeat he suffered in Osun, especially in Osogbo and Olorunda local government area where he hails from. He failed woefully having boasted to the APC that he would deliver Osogbo, particularly Olorundan, where the largest voting bloc in Osun comes from. But clearly, he?s still stuck in that same mindset.

?Now he wants to contest for the governorship under the APC. He thinks disparaging Adeleke will help him secure the ticket. But he has already lost touch with the people and the reality in Osun state.

?No one can deny all the infrastructural changes and developments that have taken place across Osun under the current leadership. Even in Osogbo, his hometown, no one can deny the transformation. In every ward, not just local governments, development has reached all corners. There?s no ward in Osun State that hasn?t been impacted positively.

?If Ajibola Basiru claims he hasn?t seen these changes, it?s probably because he spends all his time in Abuja as a party secretary. If he comes home now, he might not even recognize his own street?the city has changed.?

Odeyemi clarified that Adeleke has no plans to join the APC, accusing members of the ruling party of spreading the rumors.

He stated, ?The governor is not even interested in joining the APC. We are surprised they are even discussing it. What?s the point of inviting someone to a party they are not interested in, especially when the person had defeated that party in the past.

?What is so special about the APC that anyone would want to join it now? It?s not even a performing government. They should know that relying on federal backing won?t work in Osun. The people here know that Governor Adeleke is a performing leader, and they want capable people to continue leading. So, there?s no cause for concern. Any speculation or propaganda about Adeleke joining the APC is unfounded. There?s no reason or justification for such a move.?

(The PUNCH)

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