Osun State Governor, Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, has continued to demonstrate resilience and people-centered leadership despite the federal government’s seizure of local government allocations. For the past eight months, the state has endured what many describe as an “economic siege,” yet Adeleke has remained steadfast in paying salaries, funding projects, and protecting residents.
Observers note that Nigeria is no stranger to federal interference in state affairs, with parallels drawn to the Rivers State crisis earlier this year, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara faced unconstitutional emergency rule.
In Osun, similar tactics were deployed—allocations withheld and attempts made to reinstate sacked local government chairmen—but these efforts failed to weaken Adeleke’s administration.
Against this backdrop, the governor has ensured that local government workers, teachers, health workers, and pensioners continue to receive their entitlements on time.
Major infrastructure projects, including the state’s first-ever 10-span flyover at Oke Fia in Osogbo, are also progressing. Residents like Mr. Bello of Igbalaye Street have openly credited Adeleke’s administration for breaking away from the cycle of excuses and abandoned projects that characterized the past.
The growing goodwill across Osun State suggests that Adeleke’s refusal to bow to political intimidation is resonating with the people. Supporters say his record of protecting lives and ensuring consistent development under federal pressure has strengthened his mandate and bolstered calls for his leadership to continue beyond 2026.
In a strongly worded statement, Apesin-Abiodun Adegoke, a concerned citizen from Modakeke, Osun State, applauded the governor’s commitment to workers’ welfare and described him as a “serious leader with a human face.”
He further emphasized that the people of Osun have taken note of Adeleke’s courage and resilience in the face of political intimidation. According to Adegoke, true leadership is about people, not power play, and Adeleke has proven himself to be on the side of his people.
Concluding his remarks, Apesin-Abiodun Adegoke reaffirmed that Osun is indeed fortunate to have Governor Adeleke at the helm and called on residents to sustain their support for him beyond 2026.
Original Statement
Governor Adeleke: A Serious Leader Delivering Workers’ Salaries, Projects, and Protecting Lives and Properties of Osun Residents Despite Allocation Seizures
Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke of Osun State has once again proven himself to be a serious leader, a governor with a human face, and a man deeply committed to the welfare of his people.
Despite sustained attempts to strangulate his administration through the illegal seizure of local government allocations by the federal government, Governor Adeleke has remained resolute, focused, and unwavering in his service delivery.
Nigerians are not strangers to federal meddling in state affairs. We recall the unlawful assault on democracy in Rivers State, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State Assembly were subjected to an unconstitutional imposition of emergency rule, a move designed to coerce allegiance to the disjointed All Progressives Congress (APC). That same playbook was applied in Osun State in recent months.
For the past eight months, the federal government has deliberately withheld Osun State’s local government allocations in a desperate bid to paralyze governance and compel Governor Adeleke to defect to the APC.
This party has lost attraction and relevance in Osun. Even attempts to re-impose the sacked “Yes or No” council chairmen and councilors through the back door failed woefully.
Yet, Governor Adeleke has refused to be distracted. With unwavering commitment, he continues to pay the salaries of local government workers, including teachers from Primary 1 to Junior Secondary 3, health workers, and pensioners who depend on local government funds. In addition, he has successfully executed critical infrastructure projects across the state, a feat many considered impossible under the present economic conditions.
At Oke Fia in Osogbo, where the first-ever 10-span flyover in Osun State is under construction, residents like Mr. Bello of Igbalaye Street openly testified that if the APC were still in power, the state would have been riddled with excuses, abandoned projects, and unpaid salaries. Instead, under Governor Adeleke, Osun is enjoying steady progress and renewed hope.
The people of Osun have taken note. They are convinced that Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, who has consistently placed their welfare above politics despite federal hostility, deserves to continue in office beyond 2026.
The overwhelming goodwill across the state is a strong indication that the people of Osun want his leadership sustained till 2030.
Governor Adeleke’s resilience in the face of intimidation is a reminder that true leadership is about people, not power play. Osun State is indeed fortunate to have in him a serious governor who knows his onions and remains committed to building a secure, prosperous future.
