The Director-General of the Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council, Hon. Oluwole Oke, has expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious in the August 15, 2026 governorship election, declaring that voters are prepared to reject the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke at the polls.
Oke made the remarks on Tuesday during a media chat with members of the Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA). The federal lawmaker, who represents the Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the APC had commenced an issue-based campaign aimed at convincing residents that the state deserves better governance.
Speaking on the political situation in Ijesa North Federal Constituency, which comprises Obokun and Oriade local government areas, Oke dismissed the chances of the Accord Party in the forthcoming election.
“Accord will not win a single ward in Obokun, Oriade, take it to the bank,” he declared.
He maintained that the APC remains firmly rooted in the area and enjoys widespread support among voters. According to him, the August election would be determined by effective political strategy, grassroots engagement and the ability of parties to connect with the needs of the people.
“It is about strategy, engagement, and telling the people of Osun that they deserve better. It is about convincing them that the incumbent government has not been fair to them. They have failed and squandered the people’s resources,” Oke said.
The APC campaign chief accused the Adeleke administration of poor performance across key sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure and water supply. He alleged that public confidence in government institutions had significantly declined under the current administration, particularly within the education sector.
“Go to public schools in Osun; go to the rural areas. Farmers can no longer confidently send their children to public schools because they have lost faith in government institutions,” he stated.
Oke also raised concerns about access to potable water in many communities, claiming that residents in several rural areas still rely on streams and other unsafe sources for their daily water needs.
“There is no water supply. People resort to streams contaminated with disease-causing organisms for their drinking water. We will put an end to that. We will develop surface water resources, improve our dams, refurbish them, and reset our water infrastructure to provide people with quality, potable drinking water,” he said.
The lawmaker argued that many citizens currently provide essential services for themselves, including electricity, healthcare and education, despite paying taxes to the government.
“Today in Osun, every citizen is practically a government unto themselves. You provide your own water, generate your own electricity, patronise private hospitals, and send your children to private schools, yet you are still required to pay taxes. So, what is the benefit of government to the citizens?” he queried.
On infrastructure, Oke criticised the quality of some road projects executed by the current government. He cited the Ota-Ile–Ilare–Esa-Odo road as an example, alleging that portions of the road are often damaged during heavy rainfall due to poor construction standards.
“Talking about roads, many of the roads they have constructed are poorly executed. Take, for instance, the Ota-Ile–Ilare–Esa-Odo road; whenever it rains, parts of it are washed away. In terms of service delivery and value addition, I score this government zero,” he said.
Oke also took a swipe at Governor Adeleke's leadership style and administrative capacity, alleging that the government has struggled with policy implementation and governance.
“The current governor, Ademola Adeleke, has tried his best and my opinion is that he has limitations in terms of capacity, understanding of policy, finances and governance. I have come to a conclusion that his administration has caused commotion everywhere in education and healthcare,” he alleged.
Expressing confidence in the APC's electoral prospects, Oke boasted that he had previously participated in political efforts that led to the defeat of two incumbent governors in Osun State and predicted that Governor Adeleke would become the third.
“We are very good at removing sitting governors. I have participated in unseating two governors in this state, and the third will be in the August 15 governorship election,” he stated.
He further claimed that Governor Adeleke is aware of the political realities ahead of the election.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke is already packing his bags out of government. You can see he is no longer going to parties dancing; he is already packing his bags and baggage. In fact, he lives more in Lagos now because he knows that the reality is that he cannot make it,” Oke claimed.
He concluded by assuring party supporters that the APC would continue to focus on issues affecting the welfare of residents, insisting that the August 15 governorship election would offer Osun voters an opportunity to decide the future direction of the state.
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