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, 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, played 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?” Adeleke asked, referring to his victory in the state’s gubernatorial election. 

“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 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.

In his statement, Adeleke 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.

The Osun governor also highlighted the growing strength of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, noting that several opposition members had recently defected to the ruling party, bolstering its position. 

Adeleke further insisted that Ganduje did not have a mandate from President Tinubu to provoke conflicts in the South West.

As tensions continue to mount, Adeleke has called on President Tinubu to intervene and rein in Ganduje’s rhetoric, urging him to prioritise unity and democratic stability in the region.

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Gbenga Oluranti OLALEYE is a writer and media professional with over 3 years of experience covering politics, lifestyle, and sports, he is passionate about good governance and quality education.

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