• Calls Ganduje a Threat to Democracy, Urges Tinubu’s Intervention
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has described the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, as a threat to democracy and called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the former Kano State Governor.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke responded to Ganduje’s comments following the APC’s victory in the Ondo State governorship election. Ganduje had reportedly declared an intention to “seize Osun in 2026.”
Governor Adeleke criticized Ganduje’s statement, calling it divisive and harmful to the unity and peace within the South West. He alleged that Ganduje’s remarks were an attempt to create regional political tension to undermine Tinubu’s leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Ganduje’s comments are undemocratic and inconsistent with the principles upheld by President Tinubu,” Adeleke stated. “As a seasoned politician, one would have expected Dr. Ganduje to understand that electoral outcomes are shaped by local dynamics, not by external impositions. What applies in Edo and Ondo cannot be replicated in Osun State.”
Adeleke pointed to Ganduje’s failure to sustain dominance in his home state of Kano, where internal resistance led to the success of the Kwankwasiyya faction. “If Ganduje could not overcome internal challenges in Kano, why does he think Osun’s people, who have embraced my administration, would allow their will to be subverted?” he asked.
The governor further emphasized Osun’s historical resistance to electoral fraud, adding that the state remains a bastion of Yoruba political freedom. “Osun is the heart of the Yoruba people, where political freedom and resistance to manipulation are cherished traditions,” he declared.
Adeleke accused Ganduje of destabilizing Tinubu’s political stronghold and questioned his loyalty to the President. “If Ganduje truly supports Tinubu, why is he attempting to destabilize the President’s home zone with threats to violate electoral laws and subvert the will of the people?”
The Osun Governor invited Ganduje to study the state’s political structure, warning that strategies successful in other regions would fail in Osun. He also highlighted recent defections from opposition parties to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said had strengthened the PDP’s position in the state.
Adeleke concluded by calling on Ganduje to abandon divisive rhetoric and focus on promoting unity, saying, “Osun is not a battleground for political vendettas. We stand firm in upholding democratic principles and resisting any attempt to undermine our collective will.”
