The political atmosphere in Osun State is heating up as the 2026 governorship election draws closer. The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Bola Oyebamiji, has made a bold declaration of victory against the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke.
Oyebamiji's Confident Prediction for 2026
Addressing party faithful at an APC youth reconciliation summit held at the party secretariat in Osogbo, Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, expressed unwavering confidence. He stated that he would defeat Governor Adeleke in a landslide in the election scheduled for August 8, 2026. He dismissed the propaganda efforts of the current administration, asserting they would not save it from defeat.
"Our opponents have started lying to the Osun people. You must break asunder their lies," Oyebamiji charged the gathering. He tasked APC members, particularly the youth, to embark on a vigorous door-to-door campaign to counter negative narratives. "We are taking over by 2026. Don't be afraid, no one will do anything against you. I want to assure you that 2026 will not be like 2022," he added, referencing the party's loss in the previous election.
The former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) emphasized the crucial role of young people in securing electoral success and urged them to take ownership of the campaign project.
State Government Rejects 'Inflated' Ghost Workers Audit
In a separate but concurrent development, the Osun State Government has firmly rejected claims made by a consulting firm, Sally Tibbot Limited, regarding ghost workers on its payroll. The firm, which was hired in January 2023 to conduct a staff audit, alleged that the state was paying 8,452 ghost workers a staggering sum of N13.7 billion yearly.
The state's Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment described the firm's press briefing as a subtle attempt to pressure the government into accepting an inflated report. The government's position is that a re-validation exercise revealed a far smaller number of problematic entries.
Out of the 8,448 workers flagged by the consultants, the state confirmed 8,015 as legitimate active staff and pensioners. Only 433 individuals were found to be unreachable or unverified. The government accused the firm of neither requesting proof of existence for the alleged ghosts nor accepting payment based on the corrected, lower figures.
Opposition Reactions and the Road to 2026
The controversy has attracted comments from other political actors. The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Adewale Adebayo, weighed in, describing Governor Adeleke's defence against the audit claims as evasive and contradictory.
As the state moves towards the 2026 poll, these twin issues—the intense political rhetoric from the main opposition and the contentious debate over public wage management—are set to define the battleground. Oyebamiji's promise of a different outcome from 2022 sets the stage for a fiercely contested election in Osun State.
