Osun 2026 Guber Election ‘In Focus’ As APC, PDP Disagree Over Oyetola’s Motive For Attending SMEDAN Event In Osogbo

Though the 2026 Osun state  gubernatorial election is still far away, it was however ‘in focus’ during the weekend following disagreement over reasons for holding an event that took place in Osogbo , the state capital, and why the  Minister of Marine and Blue Economy,  Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola attended the event in question.  

Osun state PDP had  in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by its Chairman, Chief Sunday Bisi advised Mr Adegboyega Oyetola to face his mandate at the federal level so as not to repeat  what the party called ‘his records of failure as Osun state governor’ at the National level.

 The party accused Oyetola of hijacking the SMEDAN programme held in Osogbo  in a desperate bid to revive his dying political fortunes.

The statement called President Bola Tinubu’s attention to alleged disruptive conduct of the Minister who  they claimed had abandoned his  official duties in Abuja to take over another person’s responsibilities, ‘all in pursuance of a political ambition already rejected by APC members in Osun state’.

‘While we are aware of the rejection of Oyetola’s candidacy within the badly factionalized Osun state APC, we are shocked that the Minister is unaware of his violation of the electoral act by usurping the SMEDAN event as a launchpad for a dead on arrival 2026 political campaign.

Suffering from political isolation and deepening rejection of his comeback bid, the Minister is shamelessly sending out invitations to APC members to attend a SMEDAN event, which to all intents and purposes is an apolitical gathering.

We are surprised that instead of the Minister supporting President Tinubu to address the worsening national economic situation, he has chosen to abandon the ship in breach of the law to undermine the integrity of an SME programme created by the young chief executive of SMEDAN.

In this period of national economic emergency, ministers and governors are rallying round the presidency to address the many challenges confronting the nation, abandoning party affiliation, and putting patriotism as first line charge.

Unfortunately, Mr Oyetola is less concerned about the national task at hand but would rather hijack the job of the Minister for Trade and Investment only to come to Osun state to muddle up a federal programme with his five leprous political fingers.

As he messed up Mr. President on Christmas rice distribution in Osun state, the Minister has started on the same path, pushing to dilute and politicize SMEDAN and other federal programmes. 

While we urge Mr. President to keep Mr Oyetola in check, we also affirm that the state government will frustrate any effort by the former governor to destabilize and make the state ungovernable.

Any attempt to start the 2026 campaign in contravention of the Electoral Act is unacceptable. As Mr. President is working hard to deliver at the federal level, so has Governor Adeleke assumed the appellation of Mr Performer. This is time for governance.

We had thought Oyetola would work hard to redeem his image as a low -rated former governor but his records so far at the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy confirmed that he cannot meet up with 21st century good governance requirements, hence his lack of focus and failure to match up with his federal mandate.

We urge the former governor to redeem himself before it is too late by delivering on his mandate as a Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. He should allow Osun people to enjoy good governance, which he denied them while at the helm of affairs in the state’ the statement said.

The state  APC chairman , Sooko Tajudeen Lawal in a statement made available to  Team@orientactualmags.com by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi  has however submitted that he felt sorry for Governor Ademola Adeleke  and the ruling PDP for talking about violation of an Electoral Act when there is no upcoming contest.

APC said the complaint of  the state PDP with regard to  the SMEDAN event ‘ is misplaced and lacking in substance’.

The party submitted that  if  the Governor Adeleke administration  has indeed performed to expectations , the governor and the PDP would have nothing to fear adding that ‘from their malicious statement’, it is clear that  they are already afraid of the APC when 2026 is still very far away.

APC added that the sterling performance of Oyetola in Osun state  is still very visible even to the blind, saying if he had failed in Osun state, there would have been nothing for Governor Adeleke to build on.

Lawal  noted that the  Adeleke administration would not have  presented the first Bond of N1.5  billion to the contributory pensioners in the state barely four months after Oyetola left office adding that if the current  governor has the kind of enviable background Oyetola had, he won’t be regarded as the most entertaining governor in Nigeria one year after assuming office with nothing positive about good governance to associate him with other than vices.

The state APC chairman disclosed further that every critical stakeholder in the Marine and Blue Economy is aware of the strong foundation the minister is putting in place  in the ministry to build an enduring ministry that would help position Nigeria as a foremost maritime destination, saying that if Oyetola had not stabilized the  economy of Osun state , by now, the people of the state would have been pettling  Governor Adeleke with stones and he would not have been able to take off from day one.

‘Most people who are incompetent and lack ideas always judge others by their own standard. This is what the PDP is doing.

They think everyone is like them who lack directions, decency and morals.

We had done many party primaries in APC, therefore, the candidacy of anyone cannot tear us apart as alleged by the PDP.

Oyetola is too decent a man to use his attendance of SMEDAN function as the Special Guest of Honour to launch any political activity.

Instead of being in a hurry, why not wait till Monday and see if the minister’s speech has any semblance of politics.

Why is it that Adeleke and his co-travelers are always feeling jittery at the sight and shadow of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy? the party submitted -.Team@orientactualmags.com
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