ADELEKE’S SCORECARD VS THE POLITICAL NOISE: IF THE DATA ARE WRONG, SHOW US THE BETTER NUMBERS
I do not hold brief for the Executive Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, and neither am I pretending to do so. But for the sake of public sanity, and so that we are not oversaturated with half-cooked and lazy commentaries, I will attempt to highlight some of the measurable achievements of the Adeleke administration.
No prisoner taken. No political sentiment. Just public good and the numbers.
Apparently, Governor Monday Okpebholo, as usual, failed to do his due diligence and instead succumbed to the familiar realm of pedestrian political commentary. The better approach should be to interrogate the available data and allow the facts to speak.
Available public records point to several notable developments in Osun State under Governor Adeleke.
First is internally generated revenue. Osun recorded a remarkable 97.3 percent growth in IGR in 2024, rising from ₦27.72 billion in 2023 to approximately ₦54.7 billion in 2024. The state government attributed the increase to tax harmonisation, digitalisation of revenue collection, plugging leakages, expanding revenue sources and improved compliance.
On debt management, the numbers are equally significant. Osun's domestic debt reportedly fell from ₦148.37 billion in December 2022 to ₦83.32 billion by March 2025—representing a reduction of about 43.84 percent. External debt also declined from $91.78 million to $75.14 million over the relevant period. The figures were attributed to the Debt Management Office's records.
Fiscal transparency is another area that deserves attention. BudgIT's State Fiscal Transparency League assesses states on the availability and completeness of fiscal information, procurement transparency and related indicators. Osun achieved a 100 percent score in the Q3 2025 assessment, while the latest Q4 2025 table also places Osun among the states scoring 100 percent.
Then comes the issue of workers and pensioners. The Adeleke administration inherited salary and pension obligations dating back to previous administrations and has reported substantial payments towards arrears, gratuities and pension-related liabilities. Between December 2022 and June 2024, the state government said it had paid ₦4.3 billion in gratuities to pensioners. It has also pursued health-insurance coverage for retirees and continued payments relating to inherited salary arrears.
Education provides another measurable example. Osun moved from 33rd position in national examination performance in 2022 to 7th position in the 2024 SSCE ranking released in 2025, according to the state government's report citing NECO. The administration has also reported rehabilitation of schools and renewed attention to technical education.
The administration has equally pursued technology and digital-governance initiatives, including the domestication of the Nigeria Startup Act and the Osun Google Mapping Project.
On infrastructure, Governor Adeleke has claimed that his administration reduced Osun's infrastructure deficit by more than 40 percent. That figure should properly be understood as an administration-reported claim rather than an independently established World Bank statistic.
There is also the often-cited 8.52 percent poverty figure for Osun. However, intellectual honesty requires a qualification: that figure comes from the NBS Nigeria Living Standards Survey covering 2018–2019, making it historical data rather than a measurement of Osun's poverty rate in 2026. At the time, Osun ranked third among states with the lowest poverty headcount.
Now, to the politics.
Adeleke's 2026 re-election bid cannot be analysed only through his personality or shortcomings. In 2018, he challenged the APC establishment and lost after a controversial rerun. In 2022, he returned and defeated the incumbent APC administration.
He has never been presented as the conventional technocrat. Critics have questioned his academic credentials, technical experience and preparedness for executive office. Yet Osun voters have repeatedly demonstrated that they judge him through a different prism. His extraordinary popularity, personal connection with ordinary citizens and even his now-famous dancing persona have helped create a political identity that cannot simply be dismissed.
There are also political calculations working in his favour.
The emergence of Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji—AMBO—as the APC candidate has reshaped the contest. The treatment of prominent aspirants during the APC selection process, including Iyiola Omisore, has generated political conversations within the party. Whether those grievances translate into votes remains an open question.
The presence of the ADC on the ballot could also divide opposition votes. And Adeleke's administration has spread visible projects across several constituencies, giving supporters tangible things to point to.
Workers and pensioners constitute another important bloc. Having experienced salary and pension difficulties under previous administrations, some may naturally prefer continuity where they believe their current welfare is more secure.
So, exactly one week before the August 15, 2026 governorship election, my personal assessment remains simple: Adeleke enters the contest with significant political advantages.
That does not mean victory is guaranteed. Elections are decided by voters, not commentators, analysts or social-media warriors.
If INEC and the security agencies provide a level playing field and deliver a free, fair and credible election, Osun voters will ultimately decide whether Adeleke deserves another term.
But before anyone dismisses the Adeleke administration with sweeping political statements, there is one basic question worth asking:
What is the alternative scorecard—and where are the numbers?
In the end, let the people decide.
I pray for peace in Osun State and, most importantly, that God's will prevails.
Amen.
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