By Adedamola Ayeni
The 2026 Osun governorship election is just weeks away. Specifically, it is scheduled for August 15; and while the campaign rallies are loud and the music is sweet, the question we must answer is incredibly simple: can our state survive another four years of showmanship without substance?
For the past three and a half years, governance in Osun has felt more like theatre than strategy. We have seen a leadership model built on dancing, catchy slogans, and projects designed mostly to look good on campaign posters. But a state cannot run on applause. With economic pressures mounting from the federal level and our local economy gasping for air, we have to admit the truth: entertainment is not an economic plan.
The choice before us on August 15 is unembellished. The incumbent government has given us loose spending and superficial projects that simply don’t last. Standing against that is Alhaji Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO. His deep background in corporate finance and public administration is precisely the kind of lifeline Osun needs right now. When the future of our children is on the line, pedigree isn’t just a talking point, it’s everything.
Right now, the current administration runs on emotion and quick, populist wins. Supporters are quick to point to township road dualisation and new flyovers as proof of performance. But if you look beneath the fresh asphalt, apart from Ede, the governor’s hometown, the structural cracks are deeply worrying.
Governing a state requires meticulous planning, fiscal discipline, and institutions that keep working long after the cameras leave. Instead, Osun has been subjected to a reactive, hand-to-mouth approach where projects are launched without transparent budgets or clear cost-benefit analyses.
Our state finances are an even bigger red flag. Federal allocations to states have gone up significantly, yet the ordinary man on the street in Osun hasn’t felt any real structural relief. Instead of investing heavily in things that actually generate sustainable wealth – like agricultural value chains, rural industrial hubs, and technology parks – the government has poured money into high-visibility projects meant for social media likes. A government that spends tomorrow’s wealth to buy today’s applause is gambling with our future. Osun cannot be run like a daily market stall; we need an economic architect, not a performer.
This is exactly why AMBO stands out. His track record was forged in the strict, uncompromising world of corporate finance and high-level public service. He isn’t a career politician who views the public treasury as a personal survival fund; he is a seasoned technocrat who understands how to make capital work for the people.
As a former banking executive and a past Commissioner for Finance in the state, Oyebamiji knows the exact anatomy of Osun’s economy. He knows where the leakages are, how to boost internally generated revenue (IGR) without suffocating small businesses, and how to negotiate favorable terms for developmental partnerships. His recent turnaround of complex operations as the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) further proves his administrative capacity.
AMBO understands a fundamental truth that the current administration completely ignores: you cannot distribute wealth until you have actually created it. His blueprint isn’t built on empty promises or political handouts; it’s about laying a rock-solid economic foundation. His background guarantees an immediate end to wasteful fiscal habits. Under his watch, every single kobo of Osun’s resources will be budgeted with precision and accounted for transparently.
Instead of relying solely on federal handouts from Abuja, AMBO has the corporate credibility to attract genuine private investment into our agricultural and mining sectors. He believes in building systems rather than celebrating individuals. He will empower civil servants through structured capacity building and let government agencies run like clockwork, free from erratic political interference.
The contrast for the electorate could not be sharper. The incumbent offers short-term populist gifts, high-cost cosmetic projects, and governance driven by personal impulse. AMBO promises long-term economic planning, strict fiscal discipline, and enduring institutions.
Osun is predominantly a state of hardworking civil servants, traders, and farmers. Our people do not want charity or political pity; they want an enabling environment where their businesses can thrive and their livelihoods are secure. We need a governor who understands macroeconomic realities, who can sit in serious corporate boardrooms to negotiate investments, and who respects the rules of public financial management. The current government has had its time on the stage, and the results are clear: a lot of noise, but very little structural substance. The superficial gloss is wearing off, leaving behind a state burdened by missed opportunities and fiscal drift.
Look closely at the severe disconnect between these flashy urban projects and the crushing neglect of our agrarian rural communities. While the governor focuses heavily on cosmetic structures in a few metropolitan centers to secure quick political points, the true engines of Osun’s economy – our rural farmers and local agro-processors – are left to struggle.
Towns like Gbongan, which should serve as vibrant agricultural processing hubs feeding the entire state, are being choked by terrible feeder roads and a complete lack of storage infrastructure. AMBO’s technocratic blueprint intentionally addresses this painful imbalance by decentralizing growth, opening up rural food corridors, and linking local economies directly to regional markets.
When the music finally stops on the night of August 15, the grueling work of governance will begin. Slogans will not pay our mounting debts, and dancing will not create jobs for our unemployed youth. Osun needs a steady, experienced hand at the wheel. We need a leader who looks at our state and sees an economic engine waiting to be unlocked, not a political theatre. Oyebamiji possesses the exact pedigree, professional integrity, and administrative discipline required to rescue Osun from fiscal carelessness.
For anyone who truly loves Osun State and wishes to see it stand tall as an economically viable state in Nigeria, this choice is no longer about partisan loyalty. It is a matter of urgent state survival. On August 15, pedigree must override sentiment. We must vote for substance. We must vote for AMBO.
●Dr. Ayeni wrote from Gbongan, Osun State.
