Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has accused the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu of deliberating Victimising him because he is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This, according to him, is a “wilful breach of the constitution” and “politicisation of federal power.”
The governor who spoke in Akure, Ondo State at the two-day South West summit on Democracy and Federalism organised by Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba Social-Political group and the DAWN Commission, accused the Federal Government of deploying state power for partisan purposes.
“There is an ongoing wilful breach of the constitution to deprive a sub-national entity of its due rights simply because it does not belong to the same party as the ruling party at the centre. Osun provides extensive data on how not to treat a sub-national entity in a truly democratic environment,” he said.
Adeleke who was represented by the state Deputy, Kola Adeusi, Adeleke stated Osun State had become a case study on how not to treat a sub-national entity in a democratic setting.
He urged South West leaders to prioritise collective progress over partisan divides, alleging that Osun had been deprived of its legitimate rights despite demonstrating commitment to constructive engagement with the Federal Government.
The governor revealed that since assuming office in 2022, his administration had maintained open lines of communication with the Federal Government by mandating ministries and agencies to respond promptly to all federal correspondence, participate in national programmes, and host federal events.
Despite these efforts, he said, “partisan considerations had overshadowed cooperation.
“He further alleged that Osun State’s attempts to reconstruct federal roads and revive abandoned federal projects were frustrated by political operatives at the centre.
“Our olive branch to enhance collaboration is clouded by political partisanship actively promoted by operatives of the ruling political party at the centre.
“Federal projects and initiatives are now being routed through party structures instead of the Osun State government machinery,” the governor regretted.
He also accused federal security agencies of openly protecting members of the ruling party even when they violate the law, adding that some party officials in the state have boasted about using security forces to intimidate state officials and hijack political structures.
The governor recalled out that the state’s local government funds were seized earlier in the year without any court order, while duly elected local government officials were prevented from assuming office.
According to him, “In Osun today, federal party officials boast of powers to deploy security apparatus to witch-hunt state officials, worst still, they have security cover when making such provocative declarations.”
The governor however said, that despite these challenges, his administration had made significant progress, citing the recent rating of Osun’s improved rankings in education, health, debt management, and infrastructure, by a federal government agency as an instance.
He noted that Osun State was ranked first in access to primary healthcare in the South West, reduction in debt by over 40 percent, as well as rating in national examination ranking from 33rd to 7th position.
The governor also added that Osun State was rated a role model in school feeding and among the top five in proactive climate governance.
He advocated for the creation of a South West Circular Cargo Railway, the establishment of dry ports, and the strengthening of Amotekun as a regional security network.
“The South West must elevate power applications beyond partisan considerations. We must never deploy federal power against ourselves no matter our political differences,” the governor said.
