Adeleke, Aregbesola Tango Over ‘Half-Salaries’, Phantom Projects

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola, are engaged in a war of words over unpaid salaries, alleged phantom projects, and the 2026 governorship race.

The fallout began after Aregbesola, speaking at a homecoming rally in Osogbo, declared that the 2026 elections may no longer feature the traditional three-party contest, hinting at a potential political realignment and rallying support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“We are concerned about 2026 in Osun State. We have started the work for next year’s election now,” Aregbesola, who is the interim National Secretary of ADC, told supporters.

“Leave them to their agitation. Our aim should be to take over Osun State before the vote on August 8, 2026. They already know they are on their way out,” he declared.

The former governor, who served two terms from 2010 to 2018, criticised the current administration and the broader national leadership, saying Nigerians are worse off today.

“The government that makes Nigerians go hungry should not be in power again,” he said.

“Anyone who says Nigeria is better now is part of the problem. Since they assumed office, even the rain no longer falls as it used to.”

But responding on Monday, the Osun State Government, through Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, slammed Aregbesola’s remarks as delusional and hypocritical, accusing him of gross mismanagement during his time in office.

“The empty boast of Mr Aregbesola about 2026 is a symptom of a troubled mind who sees a wrong vision,” the statement read.

“A man who should be remorseful and tender public apologies for his years of maladministration has the audacity to threaten Governor Adeleke.”

The government accused Aregbesola of introducing half-salaries for civil servants, mismanaging pension funds, and leaving behind massive debt and unfinished, inflated projects.

“Mr Aregbesola’s wickedness against workers, public servants, and Osun people knows no bounds while he wielded state power,” the statement read.

“A man who introduced half salary, misapplied contributory pension funds, and misused state cooperative deductions should be ashamed of his temerity.”

The Adeleke administration detailed what it called its success in repairing the economic and administrative damage left behind by Aregbesola.

According to the government, 28 months of half-salaries have been cleared, and ₦60bn in pension arrears have been paid.

“The present administration has paid close to 60 billion naira in pension debt, a legacy of this same Aregbesola. Pensioners and workers are not praying for a return to the evil days of a bad administrator,” Rasheed stated.

He added that the government had also reduced Osun’s debt burden by 40 per cent, as confirmed by the Debt Management Office (DMO), without incurring new loans.

Additionally, the administration touted its infrastructural achievements, including over 200 kilometres of roads constructed, rehabilitation of schools and healthcare centres, free healthcare programmes for pensioners, and infrastructure improvements at Osun State University and the University of Ilesa.

“If Mr Aregbesola is to accuse Governor Adeleke of non-performance, we await his review of the dualisation of the palace to brewery junction at Ilesa, which he failed to achieve while in office,” the statement challenged.

Adeleke, in the statement, did not denounce rumours that he was joining the All Progressives Congress (APC). Aregbesola said, “Before we started this journey, they said there would be three political parties in Osun State.

“He is decamping now. We will meet in Abere — ADC will win the Osun governorship race in 2026.”

But Adeleke’s camp dismissed the ambitions as laughable and out of touch with the people’s will.

“Osun people know their present and past governors. No voter is ready for a return to the dark days,” Rasheed said.

“Mr Aregbesola is a shrew (‘Asin ti o mo pe ohun unrun’) who does not know that he is smelling. 2026 is a payback time.”