Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, tackled the Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, alleging that his tenure was the worst in the history of the state.

Aregbesola had said that the ADC would dislodge the APC come 2027, adding that it’ll also emerge victorious in the 2026 gubernatorial election in Osun State.

The former Osun State governor, while addressing ADC members and loyalists in Osogbo at the weekend, stressed that his party is ready to rescue Nigerians from the hardship inflicted by the APC-led administration.

He added that his visit to the state was part of the preparations embarked on to ensure that the ADC takes over the wheel of power in the state come 2026.

Also, the Chairman of the ADC in the state, Dr Charles Omidiji, urged members to extend a hand of friendship to anyone willing to join the party.

He said: “We have arrived and none of the two political parties can beat ADC in Osun State. The PDP and APC now believe we are the credible alternative.

“I want to urge all members of the ADC to continue to work hand in hand, as well as extend a hand of friendship to anyone willing to join the ADC.”

But reacting, Adeleke, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said that the former governor’s administration brought untold hardship on the citizenry through heavy debts, unpaid pensions and the introduction of half salaries.

According to the statement, the empty boast of Aregbesola about 2026 is a symptom of a troubled mind who sees wrong vision and suffers from the pain inflicted on millions of Osun people through his policies and programmes.

The statement added that the ADC’s national scribe, who should be remorseful and tender public apologies for his years of alleged maladministration, dared to threaten Adeleke that is clearing the mess he left behind after his eight years of anti-people, and thoughtless leadership.”

The statement read in part: “Aregbesola’s wickedness against workers, public servants, and Osun people knows no bounds while he wielded state power. A man who introduced half salary, misapplied contributory state pension fund and misused state cooperative deductions fund should be ashamed of his temerity to attack a governor who is now paying up the half salary affliction, clearing the unjustified debt and rehabilitating brutalised Osun workers.

“Within less than three years, Adeleke has surpassed government delivery of the eight years of Aregbesola without borrowing a kobo for infrastructure projects. The current administration has reduced Osun’s debt left by Aregbesola by 40 per cent as confirmed by the Debt Management Office (DMO).

“Osun people know their present and past governors. Our people are smart enough to know that the worst era for Osun State is that of Aregbesola under whom many pensioners lost their lives, thousands of lives were disrupted, and the state plunged into unsustainable debt that is still hurting the state till date. No voter in Osun is ready for a return to the dark days.”