By Kolawole Ojebisi
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, of stoking the embers of regional tensions through what he called “his unguarded utterances.”
Adeleke urged Tinubu to cautioned the former Kano governor, alleging that the later’s utterances are a threat to democracy.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday and signed by Adeleke’s media aide, Olawale Rasheed.
Adeleke who was responding to Ganduje’s pledge to win Osun in 2026, urged for caution. His statement reads in part: “As a seasoned politician, one would have expected Dr Ganduje to understand that electoral outcomes are influenced by local factors. What applies in Edo and Ondo is not necessarily reflective of political realities in Osun State.
“Voter behaviour is shaped by local grievances and interests, not by external impositions.”
He pointed out that in Kano, local dynamics ensured the continued success of the Kwankwasiyya group, which outperformed Ganduje’s faction despite his eight years in office.
“If Ganduje failed in his own state due to internal resistance, why does he think the people of Osun, who endorsed Governor Adeleke, will allow their will to be disregarded in 2026?” Adeleke asked. “Osun is the heart of the Yoruba people, where political freedom is deeply valued, and resistance to electoral fraud is a tradition.”
Adeleke added: “If Ganduje truly supports the president, why is he trying to destabilise the president’s home zone with open threats to violate electoral law and deny citizens their rights to vote?”
He further invited Ganduje to study Osun’s political dynamics, warning that what works in Edo and Ondo would not succeed in Osun for various reasons.
Adeleke also mentioned that many opposition members had recently defected to the ruling party, strengthening the PDP’s position in Osun, and stated that Ganduje did not have the mandate from President Tinubu to ignite conflicts in the South West.
