Adeleke Speaks at Workers Day Rally, Faults APC Manifesto and Gets NLC Endorsement for Re-election

Osun State Governor Senator Ademola Adeleke used the platform of the 2026 Workers Day celebration held at Fakunle High School in Osogbo on Friday May 1 to deliver a pointed critique of the opposition All Progressives Congress manifesto while simultaneously receiving a significant endorsement from the state's labour leadership ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 8.

The NLC Chairman in Osun State, Christopher Arapasopo, formally endorsed Adeleke for a second term during the rally, describing the governor as worker-friendly and noting that his administration had addressed longstanding labour issues including irregular salary payments and accumulated arrears that had predated his tenure. Arapasopo said the governor had ensured prompt payment of salaries and was implementing wage increases for workers as well as pensions for retirees.

Adeleke Faults the APC Manifesto

Shortly after attending the Workers Day rally, Adeleke spoke to reporters about the manifesto unveiled by APC governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji, describing it as a warped plan incompatible with the needs and aspirations of Osun people. The governor cited specific items in the opposition's agenda and challenged the APC's credibility to deliver on them given what he described as their poor record on the same issues during previous administrations in the state.

On the APC's agricultural proposals, Adeleke noted that the Oyetola administration gave less than 100 million naira per year to agriculture between 2017 and 2022 and questioned how agricultural processing zones could be proposed without first investing in agricultural production. On the issue of workers and pensioners, he challenged why the opposition did not use structured finance to clear salary arrears when Osun's Finance Commissioner at the time was from the same APC government now making those promises.

Federal Road Approvals Welcomed

The governor also used the occasion to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Works David Umahi for approving contracts for the rehabilitation of the Osogbo-Gbongan road and the Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan road through the Federal Executive Council. Adeleke said the approvals followed his official working visit to the Minister of Works in October 2024 where he presented the roads and pleaded for urgent intervention. He described the approval as a sign of the federal government's responsiveness and pledged the support of his administration during the execution of the projects.

The Osun governorship election on August 8 is shaping up as a competitive contest between Adeleke on the Accord Party platform and Oyebamiji of the APC. Recent opinion polling has placed Oyebamiji ahead by a significant margin, though the governor and his supporters dispute those figures and point to what they describe as the concrete achievements of the administration as the basis for renewed public confidence going into the election.