You’re Afraid of Election, Adeleke Attacks Oyetola, AMBO

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused former governor Gboyega Oyetola and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, of orchestrating desperate moves to disrupt the August 15 governorship election out of fear of imminent defeat.

In a statement by the his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor alleged that opposition elements within the Osun APC were bent on subverting the will of the people, having realised that they stood no chance at the polls.

“Out of fear of defeat, Oyetola and his imposed candidate are desperate to disrupt the August 15 election. Having seen clearly that Osun people have rejected them, they are now resorting to anti-democratic means in a last-ditch effort to secure power,” the statement stated.

The statement  further revealed that opinion surveys commissioned  by the Osun APC itself from the last quarter of 2025 to March 2026 have consistently placed the APC popularity below 30 per cent, while Adeleke’s approval rating remained between 68 and 72 per cent.

“This clearly shows that Governor Adeleke enjoys overwhelming support from the people. The opposition can already see the outcome ahead of August 15,” he stated, calling the development a serious nightmare for the opposition.

The statement also disclosed that the opposition’s desperation worsened following recent revelations by Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi regarding the alleged stance of President Bola Tinubu on the Osun election, which reportedly dispelled any illusion of federal interference.

“That reality unsettled the Oyetola/Ambo faction of the state APC. Once it became public that there would be no external manipulation of the electoral process, the opposition’s desperation deepened, leaving them with no option but to resort to failed schemes,” the spokesperson added.

The statement recounted what was described as a series of unsuccessful attempts by Oyetola and others to regain power through unconventional means.

According to the statement, Oyetola and Osun APC faction orchestrated the local government crisis to stall development and deny the people the dividends of democracy, but they failed.

The former Governor’s attempt to engineer a state of emergency through the unlawful invasion of local government secretariats also failed.