By James Bamgbose
There comes a time in a people’s journey when they must rise, not in protest of bad governance, but in the defence of good leadership. Osun State is at that very moment. What we are witnessing is not just a political battle. It is a confrontation between two ideologies, one that believes in service, empathy and progress, and another that is driven by ego, bitterness, and entitlement. What is unfolding in Osun State is not just politics as usual, it is the desperate move of those rejected by the people, now frightened by the popularity of progress.
It is shocking, even heartbreaking, to read the revelations published by Vanguard and Sunday Tribune about a meeting that took place among loyalists of Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. Rather than engage in meaningful discussions on how to reposition their party or connect with the people they lost touch with the gathering, according to the report, was focused on how to truncate the 2026 election in Osun State while boasting the deliberate impasse created through the withheld federal allocation to the state’s local government. Primarily they came together to scheme on how to sabotage the people’s will. They are plans laced with malice, deliberate actions to frustrate the will of the people.
According to the report, one of the leaders boasted about their activated plan which is impasse method deliberately created over withheld allocation of the 30 local governments in the state just to stir resentment at the grassroots against the Adeleke-led administration. They even went further in their self-delusion, blaming the same individual who allegedly used “remote control” to swing the 2018 gubernatorial election in the favour of APC.
The audacity of these men is so baffling, that they even fault late President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing a free and fair election in 2022. It is only a group of shameless people that blames everyone but themselves for their loss. What kind of leaders turn their guns on democracy because it didn’t favour them?
The sad truth is that these people had their chance. They were given the platform to lead and to serve. But they governed with arrogance, detachment, and a total disregard for the people’s welfare. The rejection they suffered in 2022 was not accidental. It was earned. It was a direct consequence of years of neglect, of treating the people as expendable pawns in a chess game of power. And now that the people have chosen a leader who feels their pain and walks their streets, they are plotting to undermine that choice?
What makes this entire circus more laughable is the person now posing as the rallying point for their 2026 victory. A man who could not win his own reelection, is now the rallying point for a comeback strategy of APC in the state. This is a man who lost in broad daylight despite been an incumbent governor. A man who only won 2 out of 10 Local Governments in his Senatorial District in his election, now gives hope to others. It is a case of the blind leading the blind. As our elders would say, “Eni to ba ma da aso fun ‘ni, se bi ti orun re la n wo” (the one who wants to sew your cloth must first be judged by the state of his own outfit.) You cannot give what you do not have.
On the rumour, that Governor Adeleke once considered defecting to the APC. As much as I do not know the full details of that speculation and would not want to dive into what I am not fully informed about, what is clear is that the people of Osun never for one day liked the idea. The governor is loved, respected and appreciated. With the trauma caused by APC’s 12 years of rudderless and mismanagement, no sane citizen will ever pray to have the party hold any office particularly the number seat in the state.
On this note, let it be said clearly, no political party would reject a sitting governor, especially one as popular and as performing as Governor Ademola Adeleke. So, for a “senior member of the party” to claim that he blocked the governor’s entry into the APC is nothing but an insult to common sense. The truth is simple, Governor Adeleke never needed them, and the people would never have allowed such a betrayal of their mandate.
These rejected politicians are angry that roads are being constructed, that health centres are being rehabilitated, that pensioners are smiling again, that young people are being empowered through cooperative initiatives. They cannot understand how a man they mocked and dismissed is now delivering so much in so little time.
But beyond 2026 lies an even greater danger for the party. If these desperate individuals attempt in manipulating the governorship election, what will become of Osun’s role in the 2027 presidential election? The ripple effect will be real. The APC, is already struggling with credibility in parts of the country and it will not be nice to add Osun State to the list. You cannot try to spit on people’s votes and expect them to queue up for you later.
On that note, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should please show statesmanship. He should take a cue from his predecessor, late Muhammadu Buhari, who despite being a card-carrying APC member, allowed democracy to take its course in 2022. That singular act won Buhari rare applause from across the state.
President Tinubu must not allow his legacy to be stained by the desperate antics of embittered appointee in his governement. Osun people deserve the freedom to choose their leaders without fear, manipulation or intimidation.
This fight is not just about Governor Adeleke. It is about our collective dignity as a Osun people. It is about ensuring that the blood, sweat and sacrifices that built Nigeria’s democracy are not in vain. It is about honouring the voices of market women, farmers, students, artisans, pensioners, and civil servants who lined up under the sun to vote in 2022.
Osun is not a conquest. It is a community. It is not a war chest. It is a home. It is not a personal inheritance for any politician. It is the pride of its people. To those planning to hijack 2026, hear this: Osun has moved on. We have seen what good governance looks like. We have seen what it means to be heard. We have seen what it means to be led with compassion and courage. And we will not go back.
Osun is not for the bitter. Osun is not for the rejected. Osun is not for rigging. Osun is for the people. And in 2026, the people will speak again, louder, stronger, and more resolute than ever before.
- James Bamgbose writes from Igbajo, Boluwaduro Local Government, Osun State. He can be reached via bamgbosejames9@gmail.com
