The political scene in Osun State grew tense on Tuesday, the twenty ninth of July, 2025, as a public confrontation erupted between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, over alleged plans to rig the 2026 governorship election.
In a press release signed by Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, the celebration accused the previous governor of attempting to control federal establishments in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and suppress the folks’s selection on the polls.
Bisi declared, “The Osun State chapter of the PDP is alarmed by several media reports of inciting statements credited to the Minister concerning his role in the withholding of local government allocations and plans to thwart the will of the electorate.”
The celebration linked its claims to feedback allegedly made by Oyetola throughout a closed-door APC caucus assembly the earlier Friday, suggesting he had laid out ways involving federal affect to swing the upcoming election.
According to the PDP, Oyetola had lamented the APC’s loss in 2022, blaming it on former President Buhari’s refusal to instruct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police to favour the celebration.
The PDP additional alleged that Oyetola claimed, “he had secured the cooperation of INEC and the Police for the 2026 election.”
He was additionally accused of claiming: “The Attorney General is working on a loophole that will allow the withheld local government funds to be released to the court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors. Otherwise, the Osun State withheld funds will not be released until after the Gubernatorial Election in 2026.”
Bisi mentioned Oyetola admitted to stopping Governor Ademola Adeleke from crossing over to the APC, seeing it as a possible menace to inside celebration ambitions.
The Minister reportedly linked his political strikes to guarantees made to President Bola Tinubu to reclaim Osun for the APC.
Bisi described these alleged remarks as dangerous to democratic values and known as on President Tinubu to launch an investigation and take applicable motion in opposition to Oyetola.
“We name on President Tinubu to direct the Attorney General to obey a Court of Appeal judgment recognising the PDP’s elected native authorities chairmen.
“We waited for more than 48 hours expecting a denial, but the Minister has remained silent. The lack of response implies authenticity of the statements,” Bisi mentioned.
The PDP demanded the speedy launch of withheld native authorities allocations, warning in opposition to their use as political instruments within the lead-up to the election.
READ ALSO: Osun 2026: Oyetola, PDP Rep Wole Oke to Run on APC Joint Ticket
Bisi added that the PDP would firmly resist all efforts to control the electoral course of, insisting that Governor Adeleke will win once more in 2026 based mostly on his monitor report and public help.
Responding, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as fabrications by a celebration afraid of shedding its grip.
He mentioned: “At no point did the Honourable Minister threaten to rig any election. He remains a firm believer in democracy and the rule of law.”
Akinola labelled the PDP’s claims as “reckless propaganda” by a celebration that senses a decline in public favour as 2026 approaches.
He burdened that the Minister has no affect over INEC, the Police, or the Attorney General, and dismissed the “federal might” narrative as insulting to the general public’s intelligence.
According to the APC, the PDP was solely attempting to divert consideration from its failings in Osun and use worldwide consideration to gas a baseless accusation.
Akinola challenged the PDP to supply precise proof audio, video, or documented minutes of the assembly to again up their claims.
“We urge the good people of Osun to ignore the distractions of the PDP and stay focused on the mission to restore competent, people-oriented governance in 2026,” he concluded.
