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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
An aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, Iyiola Omisore, has taken a swipe at the incumbent governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke, boasting that he is not competent enough to be appointed a commissioner in his (Omisore’s) administration.
Omisore spoke after submitting his completed APC expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja yesterday.
Calling the incumbent a dancing governor, Omisore sarcastically noted that he did not meet up with the criteria to be appointed a commissioner if he was the governor.
He hinged his rating of Adeleke on what he described as his incompetence and inability to offer anything.
“Well, your proposition is not what is on ground. You have heard so much of rumours and speculations and innuendos in the papers. Every part of the state has a fair share of the ticket. The governor today is from the West. So, that idea is not only myopic but also an idea for lazy politicians to corner and install their interest.
“I want to assure you that every zone in my state has had a fair share of the governorship. The state was created in 1991. The first governorship candidate was from the West. We have only one from the East. And three from the centre. I think we need clarification so that this will stop and we won’t be promoting ignorance. All these are political calculations. So, all these shenanigans and interest shielding won’t take us anywhere. Every state wants the best for their governance.
“Governance is a serious business. Any governor who turns governance into entertainment is not appreciating the weight of leadership. The projection of a dancing governor shows the emptiness of ideas. Osun deserves better.
“Sincerely, I can’t appoint him a Commissioner if I am the governor of the state because I don’t know what he can offer.”
He hinged his decision to re-contest on conviction, capacity and a sense of duty, boasting that no aspirant matched his depth of experience, pedigree, financial war chest and governance exposure.
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While insisting that the state required a leader who brings maturity and competence at a time of what he described as drift, he said: “Running for governorship comes with responsibility. My pedigree and experience are not things you can manufacture overnight. I’m offering Osun a superior alternative in 2026.”
He ruled out a consensus arrangement for the primary, noting, “As of today, we have nine aspirants. Consensus is not on the table. Whoever emerges through the set process becomes the party’s candidate.”
On alleged zoning calculations and claims that he may be going against a supposed stakeholders’ preference, Omisore dismissed such narratives as lazy political arguments, stressing that every zone in the state had produced a governor.
“Osun has never been governed on the basis of zoning. Every zone has had its turn. These speculations are social media stunts.”
Responding to questions on who his godfather is, he said political mentorship is not inherently negative, noting that he belongs to no faction except the camp of God and the Nigerian people.
He also addressed concerns about revenue generation in Osun, stating that over taxation harms the masses. He argued that the priority must be prudent management of available resources rather than aggressive revenue drives that burden citizens.
“You don’t grow a state by taxing people to death. You grow it by managing what you have with prudence,” he said.
On the lingering crises in traditional institutions across the state, he explained that most conflicts arise from governments deviating from established king-making procedures. He pledged that under his leadership, the government would not impose preferred candidates on communities.
“As a prince, I respect tradition. Let the people choose their own kings. The kings rule their people, not the governor,” he said.
