Osun governorship candidates talk tough at Arise townhall ahead of Saturday election
Frontline candidates in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election on Tuesday outlined their positions and expressed confidence in victory if the poll is free and fair.
Speaking at the Arise Townhall Meeting in Osogbo, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Olajide Esan of the African Action Congress (AAC) set out their records and plans before a panel of media professionals.
Adeleke described himself as a “bulldozer” and said he was not intimidated by alleged federal support or governors backing the APC candidate. He rejected claims that he had militarised the state, noting that he is not the Commander-in-Chief. He listed about 350 kilometres of roads constructed, 160 kilometres under construction, 200 rehabilitated health centres, 31 tractors for farmers and the recruitment of more than 1,500 Amotekun personnel. He defended his public dancing as a hobby that does not affect his work and expressed full confidence that he would not lose.
Oyebamiji dismissed the “federal might” narrative and said his priority would be the welfare of residents across the entire state. He vowed to invest in agriculture, education and healthcare to address hunger and poverty. He challenged Adeleke to account for about N650 billion in federal allocations received over three and a half years, contrasting it with N450 billion received during 12 years of previous APC administrations, and said the immediate past government left about N15 billion. He maintained that residents were ready for change.
Salaam presented himself as a political scientist and farmer seeking to build on past achievements and close existing gaps. He stressed peace and the need to end thuggery, describing the ADC as the most peaceful option. He said his 10-point agenda was realistic and that his government would be people-centred.
Esan pledged to return governance to the people. He proposed an Osun residents database for better planning and a financial dashboard that would allow citizens to track government spending in real time, arguing that greater transparency would reduce the incentive to treat politics as a business.
The townhall crystallised the contest into competing claims of record, change, peace and accountability. The practical test comes on Saturday, when voters decide which of these narratives they accept.
