The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State has dismissed the chances of the All Progressives Congress National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in the forthcoming 2026 governorship election, describing him as “unelectable.”
Responding to growing speculation about Basiru’s bid to unseat Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Director of Media and Publicity for Osun PDP, Oladele Bamiji, said the former senator should first focus on securing his party’s ticket before dreaming of challenging the incumbent.
He was responding to Basiru’s campaign team, which urged Adeleke to prepare for a defeat in the hands of Basiru next year.
However, Bamiji recalled how Basiru lost the 2023 Osun Central Senatorial District election to a PDP candidate, stating that putting him forward as APC’s governorship standard bearer would only ease Adeleke’s re-election.
“I hope Senator Ajibola Basiru and his subjects understand that political ambition is not just by mouth or by speaking grammar around, it is the level and extent of acceptability of such would-be candidate or aspirant to the people,” Bamiji said.
“Basiru has had his time in public administration. He has been a senator and if he did well, he won’t be overwhelmingly rejected as he was in his second attempt. If he could be rejected in his own senatorial district then, I don’t know how he wants to navigate through other regions/constituencies in Osun State.”
Describing Basiru as “an unelectable personality as far as governorship race is concerned,” Bamiji insisted that the APC national scribe “doesn’t have that personality to even come close to giving the incumbent governor any sort of reasonable fight.”
“Maybe by the time God will want to make it so easy for PDP to win the 2026 governorship election again, Basiru will be put forward as APC candidate and then he will be able to smell how bad his image is as far as Osun electorates are concerned,” he said.
However, in an earlier statement, Basiru’s 2026 campaign team extended birthday wishes to Governor Adeleke as he turned 65, but asked him to be prepared for a defeat in the hands of Basiru next year over his alleged leadership failure.
In a statement signed by Prof. Aderemi Ajala, the team praised Adeleke but emphasised that Basiru was best positioned to address the state’s numerous challenges.
“We want to join the good people of Osun State to celebrate our governor and brother, His Excellency, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke as he clocked 65.
“For us, we nurse no hatred against him especially as he celebrates his birthday. So we congratulate him. The politics we are all involved in is because of the betterment of our state.
“Being a knowledgeable people and apart from the fact that our principal is a lawyer by profession who adheres to the tenets of democracy, we don’t see politics as a do-or-die affair. When Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke defeated us in the last election, we respected the people’s wish.”
While extending goodwill, the team made it clear that Basiru intends to contest the 2026 election, citing what they see as lapses in Adeleke’s administration.
“While we salute him on his birthday, we like to remind him that Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru Ph.D is contesting to unseat him because of the obvious lapses he has noticed in the current administration in our dear state.”
They accused Adeleke of neglecting key sectors, including agriculture, education, tourism, and the economy, and claimed that governance had suffered due to the governor’s frequent absences from the state.
“The governance of our dear state cannot continue to be entrusted in the hands of someone like Governor Adeleke. We need a governor with idea and who is surrounded by development-driven individuals. He cannot continue to use few days in Osun and the other remaining days outside.”
“One does not need anyone to say it to know that Osun’s agricultural sector is almost dead. Nothing seems to be working under the current administration. No single company has been established or opened under this current tenure. Tourism in Osun is at its lowest patronage.
“Our educational sector has nosedived. What do we expect when teachers are sacked and not replaced. The health sector is nothing to write home about.”
Basiru’s team further challenged the state government to account for the funds received over the past 30 months.
“The money accrued to the state in the last 30 months has been spent recklessly. The state government should publicly come out to tell the people how their funds are spent.
“A good leader doesn’t take the people to where they want, he takes them to where they ought to be. Our state is fast losing the gains of the past.”
“So while we wish him all the best life can offer, we like to remind him that Senator Basiru is contesting to unseat him. And we know the outgoing governor would be proud of his predecessor when he takes over from him in 2026.”
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