Osun Govt Accuses APC Candidate Oyebamiji of Mismanagement Ahead of Campaign

The office of the Governor of Osun State has launched a strong political attack on Bola Oyebamiji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, outlining 23 reasons it claims make him unfit to govern the state.

The allegations were contained in a statement issued in Osogbo by the spokesperson to the state governor, Olawale Rasheed, on behalf of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

According to the statement, the state government plans to release detailed explanations of the allegations once the official governorship campaign begins on March 11, but decided to provide a preview of the claims to inform the public.

Rasheed said the APC candidate’s competence and suitability for leadership could be judged based on three key areas of his public record. He added that the government believes Oyebamiji failed in all three areas.

The governor’s office alleged that during his tenure as head of the Osun State Investment Company, he mismanaged state resources, particularly in relation to properties owned by the state in Lagos and Abuja.

The statement further claimed that mining assets linked to the state, including the Segilola project, were handled in a way that denied Osun State its full financial benefits until the current administration reviewed and renegotiated the agreements.

Rasheed also accused Oyebamiji of approving the sale of Osun State’s holding at Omoluabi during his time as Commissioner for Finance, describing the transaction as lacking transparency.

He further alleged that the former commissioner supported policies that were unfavourable to workers, including the non payment of pension arrears and other benefits owed to retirees.

According to the statement, Oyebamiji also backed the implementation of half salaries for workers under the previous administration and retained a private firm to manage the state payroll instead of activating the government’s payroll management system.

The governor’s spokesperson said these decisions exposed the state to possible payroll fraud and financial waste.

The statement also accused the APC candidate of supporting actions that weakened the public service, including the alleged refusal to appoint Permanent Secretaries and the non payment of promotion allowances to civil servants.

Rasheed further alleged that Oyebamiji played a central role in financial decisions that affected key government programmes and institutions, including the management of a 20 million dollar primary healthcare grant from the World Bank.

According to him, the fund was not effectively utilised under the previous administration until the current government intervened.

The governor’s office also claimed that the former finance commissioner failed to properly manage the state’s debt profile, noting that Osun’s debt had risen significantly by 2022 before the current administration began efforts to reduce it.

Other allegations raised in the statement relate to procurement practices and funding of higher education in the state.

The governor’s office accused Oyebamiji of politicising the Osun Procurement Board while serving as its chairman and approving procurement processes that allegedly violated established regulations.

The statement also alleged that Osun State University suffered from inadequate funding during his time in government, which reportedly led to delays in several capital projects needed to maintain accreditation in some academic programmes.

The statement further criticised Oyebamiji’s campaign approach, accusing him of promoting divisive religious narratives during political engagements in a state known for its religious diversity.

It also raised questions about aspects of his personal records, including the removal of the name Munirudeen from his filings with the electoral authorities.

The governor’s office maintained that Osun residents deserve a leader with a stronger public record and argued that Governor Adeleke has demonstrated the vision and capacity to continue leading the state.

The development signals an early escalation in political tensions in Osun State as political parties prepare for the governorship campaign season.