APC, Governor’s Adeleke Administration Clash Over Osun Debt Profile
The debt profile of Osun State has ignited a fresh exchange of accusations between Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, issued a statement on Sunday asserting that the state’s debt burden had decreased significantly under the current administration. Rasheed rejected claims from an online report alleging an increase in Osun’s debt, accusing the APC of orchestrating the publication.
“The truth remains that Osun State’s debt profile has actually reduced under the leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the last two years. Data doesn’t lie and cannot be hidden,” Rasheed said.
He cited figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), stating that Osun’s domestic debt had dropped from ₦148.37 billion in December 2022 to ₦86.06 billion by June 2024. Similarly, foreign debt had fallen from $91.78 million to $78.17 million in the same period.
“What this also means in terms of figures is that Governor Adeleke has paid back ₦62.31 billion in domestic debt and $13.61 million in foreign debt. This is the burden the APC-led past administration imposed on the people of the state. If this administration didn’t inherit those debts, these amounts would have been better used for the good people of Osun State,” Rasheed added.
The APC, however, challenged these claims. Its state spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, dismissed the figures provided by Rasheed, questioning their credibility and accusing the administration of misleading the public.
“Whatever he is pushing to the public now regarding the state debt portfolio is an afterthought which cannot be relied upon,” Olabisi said. “We didn’t cook what was published as it affects the debt portfolio of the state government under Adeleke. It is in the public domain already. Where did Olawale get his own figures?”
Olabisi further alleged that the Adeleke administration was deflecting attention from its shortcomings by blaming the APC for its challenges. “They can’t continue to blame us for their ineptitude,” he remarked.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between the ruling administration and the opposition in Osun State, with both sides locked in a battle over the state’s financial stewardship and debt management.
