… Dismisses planned zoning arrangement for ticket
An aspirant in 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, quipping that he is not competent enough to be appointed a Commissioner in his administration.
Omisore spoke on the sidelines after submitting his completed APC expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Calling the incumbent as dancing governor, Omisore sarcastically noted that he did not meet up the criteria to be appointed a Commissioner if he is the governor of the state.
Describing Adeleke as dancing governor, Omisore, hinged his rating of Adeleke on what he described as his incompetence and inability to offer anything.
“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,” the former deputy governor of the state quipped.
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 warchest and governance exposure.
While insisting that the state requires 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 said.
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 has 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,” he emphasised.
Responding to questions on who is his godfather, Omisore said political mentorship is not inherently negative, noting that he belongs to no faction except “the camp of God and the Nigerian people.”
Omisore 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 kingmaking procedures. He pledged that under his leadership, 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.
