By Abiodun Akaraogun
As the August 8, 2026, Osun governorship election draws near, the reality on the ground – not the rhetoric – will decide our fate as a state and people. To begin with, it is plain to see that our local infrastructure has been left to rot. The crisis in our schools is just as dire. These aren’t isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a decay visible from one end of the state to the other. The public may not yet realize how deep this administration’s failures run, but the facts on the ground speak for themselves.
As the 2026 race takes shape, the All Progressives Congress, APC’s path back to Government House rests on a strategic tie between former Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s legacy and the managerial track record of Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO. Any real assessment must weigh these factors against the actual mood of the person in the ‘Korope’ or on the ‘Okada’ navigating our urban centers.
For various reasons, it isn’t just Osun residents but Nigerians across the board who are looking forward to this election – largely because the three gladiators in the race are political heavyweights in their own right. Take former Speaker Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who is widely believed to be riding on the political coat-tails of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Indeed, given the former governor’s enduring influence, many are convinced that Salaam could pull a major surprise, banking on the loyalty ‘Ogbeni’ still commands across the state. However, Salaam will need more than just his mentor’s shadow to clinch this title. Navigating the Aregbesola image is one thing, but winning a statewide mandate is another entirely.
As for the incumbent, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party (A) holds the ‘power of incumbency’, yet that is no longer the shield it once was. Like him or hate him, Adeleke isn’t high-handed or overly sophisticated like the APC crowd. He lacks their polish, but he claims to be on the ground with the people. Label him ‘The Dancing Governor’ if you like, he doesn’t care. So long as he keeps wriggling his body to the tunes of KWAM1 or Davido, c’est fini! Adeleke might not understand – or even care to be treated to – the technicalities of OSEMSA or the machinations of ORMA; provided everyone stays in his or her lane, the governor believes he remains a force.
But then, only God knows the fate that has befallen Osun in the past three or so years. For instance, while Ondo is embarking on a deep-sea port project and Oyo pulls far ahead in agro-allied processing; and while Ekiti has commissioned an international cargo airport as well as reaping the fruits of its investment in other sectors – Osun, under Adeleke’s firm grip, continues to dance around the Okefia Flyover, and that’s where the real problem lies.
In Osun, we have seen incumbents fall before. So, Adeleke won’t be the first to lose his seat if the tide turns. While his supporters point to his ‘scorecard’ as justification for a second term, the real question remains: has he truly done enough to earn it? When you weigh his administration’s supposed achievements against the unprecedented volume of federal allocations that have poured into the state since he took office, the math simply doesn’t add up.
Particularly, the administration’s defenders may point to road construction, but the real question is: at what cost? Have these roads been built where they are actually needed, or is the infrastructure distribution skewed? One must ask if this government’s impact is truly felt across every local government area, or if other vital sectors are being left to rot. What is happening in agriculture, and what is the state of our healthcare? Most damning, however, is the crisis in our schools. While classrooms lack teachers, a monumental fraud was committed under the guise of recruitment. The government advertised positions, sold forms to desperate graduates, and conducted examinations; yet, nearly two years later, not a single appointment letter has been issued.
Nigerians have already seen through the smoke and mirrors. These lopsided road projects are merely a decoy – a thin cover for the administration’s systemic failures across the state. The voters know exactly what to do with their thumbs, and that is why it increasingly looks like the ‘power of incumbency’ will not be enough to save the dancing governor.
The APC candidate – a two-time Commissioner for Finance and former Managing Director/CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) – is no stranger to Osun’s political terrain. His track record speaks for itself. Currently riding a wave of significant momentum, Oyebamiji is confident in his prospects, standing out as the frontrunner with no real rival in sight. He has centered his platform on a shift towards actual productivity and ‘people-first’ governance, promising a departure from the status quo towards genuine state-wide prosperity.
Oyebamiji has centered his campaign on the big three: tackling poverty, easing the people’s current hardships, and addressing food insecurity. As a financial expert, he has made it clear that reviving the health sector is a priority, pledging to mobilize the right professionals to breathe new life into our hospitals. Beyond healthcare, he is betting on ‘functional education’ – schooling that actually leads to jobs – while vowing to bring a level of fiscal discipline and transparency that has long been missing from the state’s coffers.
AMBO has earned the right to lead this state, a claim backed by his dual pedigree as both a seasoned administrator and a grassroots politician. His track record within Osun’s political space as a transformative leader speaks volumes about his professional calibre and resolve. Most notably, as Commissioner for Finance, he served as the stabilizing force behind the state’s economy, keeping the treasury afloat during the Oyetola administration. His strict oversight ensured Osun met the rigorous criteria for the World Bank’s State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme. This success secured a significant grant for the state – a crucial lifeline that allowed the government to pay full salaries and pensions promptly, even amidst the biting economic hardships of that period.
For those who genuinely care for the Osun APC, the priority right now – even with the governorship election fast approaching -must be total reconciliation and unity. Every aspirant who participated in the primary needs to recognize that reclaiming power from the current administration is the only task that matters. To this end, personal ambitions must not be allowed to derail the collective goal. The party cannot afford to let this chance slip by if it intends to rescue Osun from its current state of drift and decay.
To some people, all friendships are temporary; but, as a seasoned banker, Oyebamiji understands that, in his profession, everyone is a customer. It is equally common knowledge that, in political strategy, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests; and there is no ‘move away’, only ‘move nearer.’ It is therefore critical for the APC governorship candidate to consult widely and engage sincerely, with an eye toward winning more converts to his vision. While the current outlook is encouraging, AMBO can still do more to break the mold! As the Bible says, ‘The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few.’ In truth, there are many undecided voters out there, still sitting on the fence and waiting to be convinced. If Oyebamiji plays his cards right, they are his for the taking.
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Akaraogun wrote from Ile-Ife, Osun State.
