MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2026
VOL 21 NO 69
Fresh Crisis In Osun APC As Basiru, Omisore, Others Shun Oyetola’s Stakeholders’ Meeting •Alleged Petition Against National Secretary, Former Dep Gov Fuels Lingering Feud •As Ex-Senator Pays Congratulatory Visit To Adeleke
•Governor Adeleke and Senator Basiru exchanging pleasantries after the meeting, yesterday Our Reporter LL is not well within the Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun following its loss in the August 15 governorship elec on in the state. OSUN DEFENDER reliably gathered that the re-elec on of Governor Ademola Adeleke has con nued to generate ripples within the party, with many stakeholders
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trading blames among prominent members including the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, Na onal Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, his predecessor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, among others. The development, according to feelers, indicate that some of those being blamed for the electoral loss were alleged to have worked against the interest of
APC and its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The medium learnt that in the last two weeks, several pe ons and replies have emerged against the stakeholders from all segments, groups and forma ons within the party to President Bola Tinubu. Insiders also reliably informed OSUN DEFENDER that some sec ons of the party loyal to the immediate-past gover-
nor of the state have also launched an a ack on Basiru, alleging that he sabotaged the party’s efforts to win the last elecon because of his 2030 governorship ambi on as well as efforts to wrestle the leadership of the APC in Osun from the President’s nephew. Further a en on on the brewing crisis emerged on Saturday as major stakeholders’ within the party boycot-
ted a mee ng held at the instance of Oyetola. The mee ng, held at his campaign office in Osogbo, had in a endance the party’s candidate, Oyebamiji, alongside other members of his IleriOluwa tendency, where the Minister was ra fied as the APC leader in the state. Further findings revealed that the mee ng, which was expected to provide an opportunity
for party leaders and stakeholders to deliberate on the state of the party and its poli cal direc on, witnessed what appeared to be a low turnout of key figures. Among those absent alongside Basiru and Omisore were former Deputy Governors of the state, Mrs Ti layo LaoyePonle and Benedict Adegboyega Alabi. Two former Speakers of the Osun State House of Assembly, Professor Mojeed Alabi and Adejare Bello, were equally not present at the meeting. Other notable absentees included Hon. Akintunde Adegboyega, a former Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, and Hon. Adeoye Adelakun, the APC Osun Central Senatorial leader. Equally, the party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal and some other members of the state working commi ee of the party were also absent from the mee ng. The absence of the party’s prominent figures has sparked fresh concerns over the state of cohesion within the APC in Osun, with observers interpre ng the development as another indica on of the internal disagreements that have emerged within the party. The development is coming amid lingering grievances over the par•Continued on page 2
MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2026
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News
Tinubu’s Bid To Keep FBI Records Sealed Concerning, Suspicious – Nigerians
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RESIDENT Bola Tinubu’s fresh attempt to stop the release of records held by the United States Federal Bureau of Inves ga on (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administra on has triggered heated reac ons among Nigerians on social media. Several commenters ques oned why the President was opposing the disclosure of the records, while others demanded transparency, saying his posi on had only fuelled further suspicion around a controversy that has followed him for decades. Tinubu, through his lawyers, asked the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to reject a request by American transparency ac vist, Aaron Greenspan, seeking access to records concerning him. His legal team argued that the US Freedom of Informa on Act and Privacy Act protected the informa on and that there was no public interest warran ng its disclosure. The lawyers also maintained that Greenspan’s request was poli cally mo vated and amounted to an a empt to obtain private informa on about Tinubu through government files. OSUN DEFENDER reports that the records being sought include the “en re FBI file” on Tinubu and FBI Form 302 interview records relating to him between 1992 and 1993. In April 2025, US District Judge Beryl Howell ordered the FBI and DEA to li their “Glomar” responses, under which the agencies had refused to confirm or deny whether responsive records existed, and directed them to process the request subject to applicable exemp ons. But the latest legal move has done li le to quiet the controversy. On Facebook, Yakubu Danjuma invoked the legal maxim, “He who comes to equity, must come with clean hands,” while another commenter, Omotayour Olabisi Sanni, put the demand more bluntly: “If you have nothing to hide let them release it.” Benson Iboroakam Anthony asked, “So Pharaoh dey fear?” Another user, Oru Emmanuel, simply asked, “What is he afraid of?” The argument by Tinubu’s lawyers that there was no public in-
•ADC National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in a group photograph with Youth leaders of the party in the South West, recently
terest in the records also came under a ack. “Which one is lack of public interest, we are fully interested please,” Canice Ogaraku wrote, while Fortune Idiong stated, “The public is very much interested in this ma er.” Igbo Malu Onye Iro Gi added, “Guilty conscience fears no accusa ons,” while Soye Daopuye ques oned the decision by a public officer to keep his past dealings away from public scru ny. “A public officer wants his recorded past dealings to remain secret. No be voodoo be that?” Daopuye wrote. Another commenter, Maxwell de Don, argued that a clean record should not be difficult to expose, saying, “If I’m clean, I should be proud for my record to be seen round the whole world.” Similarly, Ahmad Jaagi asked, “If the records were good, will this you prevent them?” Dan Kauye also ques oned whether there was anything private in informaon that had already entered the public domain. The comments, however, were not uniformly cri cal of the President. One Facebook user, Ifeoma Linda Onwumere, challenged those demanding the release of the records to provide evidence, accusing them of pursuing the ma er out of hatred. Another commenter, Joe Abraham-Isaac Efughu, introduced a poli cal dimension into the debate by asking whether the same people would hold the same posi on if the records concerned opposi on figures Peter Obi or A ku Abubakar. That interven on
prompted another user, Oniconx Grand, to respond that “the subject of discussion here is Tinubu, not A ku.” Buchi Digital took a more measured posion, saying transparency and accountability were important, par cularly where public officials were concerned, and that Nigerians deserved “clear answers and credible informa on.” Ola Ibrahim echoed the call for accountability, wri ng, “Oga nobody above law.” The debate became more emo onal in some quarters, with commenters ques oning how a si ng President could be at the centre of a prolonged controversy over records held by a foreign law-enforcement agency. “I am wondering how this man became a president sef,” Kamal Umar Nafada wrote. Sunny Odu similarly reacted, “Imagine the whole country president,” while another commenter urged Tinubu to answer the quesons surrounding the records. Some users also made claims about the reasons for the withholding of the records that were not supported by evidence contained in the report. Such claims included allega ons that Nigerian public funds were being used to prevent the release of the documents. The controversy dates back to the 1993 US civil forfeiture proceedings involving $460,000 held in an account in Tinubu’s name. US authori es had alleged that the funds represented proceeds of narco cs trafficking or were involved in pro-
hibited financial transacons. The All Progressives Congress had argued during the 2023 presiden al elec on li ga on that the proceeding was civil and did not amount to a criminal convic on. The Presiden al Elec on Pe on Court subsequently held that the peoners had failed to establish that Tinubu had been arrested, arraigned, convicted or sentenced in a criminal case in the United States.
Nevertheless, the issue has remained a recurring subject of poli cal debate, with opposi on figures and acvists con nuing to seek more informa on from US authori es. The African Democra c Congress spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, described Tinubu’s opposi on to the release of the records as suspicious and said the President should allow their disclosure if he wanted to clear his name.
“Why is the President opposing the release of his past records? That is suspicious. The President should allow them to be released to clear himself,” Abdullahi said. The NDC Na onal Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, also argued that the poli cal nature of the request should not be used as a reason to keep the records from Nigerians. He said the controversy had lasted for more than two decades and urged Tinubu to clear the air once and for all. For now, however, the ma er remains before the US court. Tinubu’s lawyers are asking that the FBI and DEA be allowed to retain their redac ons and withhold por ons of the records, relying on exemp ons covering law-enforcement informa on and personal privacy. While the online reac ons have intensified, the FOIA case itself does not amount to a criminal prosecu on or a judicial finding that Tinubu commi ed a drug-trafficking offence. It is, at this stage, a legal dispute over access to records held by US government agencies.
Fresh Crisis In Osun APC As Basiru, Omisore, Others... •Continued from page 1 ty’s handling of its recent governorship primary and the subsequent primaries that produced its candidates for the State and Na onal Assembly elec ons. While it remains unclear whether the absences were poli cally mo vated, the poor representa on of some of the party’s major stakeholders at a mee ng convened by a former governor and serving federal minister is likely to fuel specula on about the depth of the divisions within the Osun APC. It will also be recalled that a few days to the last governorship elec on, over 70 leaders of the party in the state were led by the Na onal Secretary to a mee ng with President Tinubu a er reports emerged that that the party under Oyetola’s leadership was polarised ahead of the poll. -As APC Secretary Pays Congratulatory Visit To Adeleke, Seeks Support For Tinubu’s Reelec on Specula ons were further heightened with Basiru’s visit to Adeleke to congratulate him on his August 15 elec on victory and seek support for
President Bola Tinubu’s re-elec on bid in 2027. The former Osun Central Senator, who was a guest at the Government House, Osogbo, said the governor’s support, alongside the APC mobilisa on, is crucial to the success of the 2027 presiden al elec on in the state. The APC scribe said even though he did not want Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, to win the elec on, he accepted the outcome of the poll as a true democrat and decided to visit the governor to congratulate him. “I must also come as a Democrat to congratulate you on your elec on, and I must say that I did not want you to win. In fact, I wanted Bola Oyebamiji to win that elec on. He was my candidate that I voted for. “But as I said, God is the one who gives power to whoever He wants. As a student of Bola Tinubu, we are democrats, and we must also, at every point in me, recognise that in a democra c contest, one must win, and the struggle con nues,” he said. Speaking on 2027,
Basiru thanked the governor for endorsing President Tinubu, no ng that there were expecta ons in some quarters that the governor would renege a er his victory. According to him, “The re-elec on of President Tinubu is very crucial to me as a party administrator, and whatever is necessary to be done to ensure that is what I am a er. “We also have a base. Because we are also not a pushover in comba ng this contest. To win 46% in the elec on is not easy. I look forward to you delivering for us with our support.” Recalling the 2026 governorship elec on, the APC Na onal Secretary said he campaigned vigorously across 12 local governments for the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. “I followed my candidate vigorously. I campaigned against you, sir. Unfortunately, God gives power,” he said. Responding, Governor Adeleke appreciated the visit and reiterated his commitment to good governance and the unity of Osun people irrespecve of party affilia on.
PEOPLE FIRST
MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2026
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HE governorship elec on in Osun State has produced tales of the unexpected. Out of the window has gone the well-worn poli cal calculus surrounding vote-buying, voter suppression, in mida on and the deployment of so-called “Federal Might”. Whatever assump ons previously guided poli cal calcula ons in Abuja, the Osun experience appears to have unse led them. A er the elec on, it is clear that the old playbook may no longer be sufficient. It is a whole new ball game. The Presiden al Villa in Abuja now appears to be in panic mode. The tone and ming of recent responses from the Federal Government suggest an administra on increasingly conscious of the poli cal consequences of growing hardship across the country, with the next general elec on only months away. From day one, the present Federal Government has appeared more preoccupied with developing “master strategies” for winning elec ons than with the deep policy thinking required to confront Nigeria’s structural problems. Its increasingly hurried and contradictory responses to major na onal issues reinforce this percep on. Government should be about governing, not merely calculating the next electoral advantage. The latest example is the fuel subsidy debate. A er the ADC presiden al candidate, A ku Abubakar, called for a re-examina on of the subsidy ques on, Aso Rock suddenly rediscovered Compressed Natural Gas as an answer to declining living standards caused by escala ng fuel prices and pressure on the naira. There is nothing inherently wrong with promo ng CNG. Diversifying Nigeria’s transportaon energy sources and exploiting its abundant gas resources are sensible objec ves. The problem is that policy cannot be reduced to slogans. A serious CNG programme requires infrastructure, investment, planning and effec ve implementa on. For a start, where are the filling sta ons capable of dispensing CNG on the scale required to serve millions of Nigerians? How many vehicles are expected to be converted? Where are the conversion centres? Who will train and cer fy the technicians? What incen ves will be available to transport operators and private motorists? These
Panic Responses From On High
are not minor technicali es. They are the substance of the policy. There is also the larger queson of electric vehicles and the long-term transforma on of Nigeria’s transport system. The country needs a coherent energy and transport policy that looks beyond the next elec on. The devil is in the details. A Government propelled more by propaganda than serious policy design risks turning every attempted response into another opportunity for the opposi on to expose its weaknesses. It also risks scoring own goals. It has been a disastrous week for the Government, and the opposi on must now step up— not merely with cri cism, but with credible alterna ves capable of addressing the hardship confron ng Nigerians. The much-publicised $1bn social interven on programme is another case in point. Rather than appearing as part of a carefully structured social protec on framework, it has raised ques ons about its funding, implementa on and sustainability. Nigerians struggling with the rising cost of food, transport, housing and basic services need more than grand announcements. They need interven ons
“Nigeria is at a crossroads. The present crisis, severe as it is, can also become an opportunity to rethink how the country is governed and how its economy is structured. It is increasingly clear that only a credible opposition can provide a genuine alternative to Nigeria’s spiralling cost-of-living crisis, which is fast becoming a threat to social stability and, ultimately, our democracy”
erned and how its economy is structured. It is increasingly clear that only a credible opposi on can provide a genuine alterna ve to Nigeria’s spiralling costof-living crisis, which is fast that can be properly explained, becoming a threat to social stability and, ul mately, our funded and delivered. There must now be mass mo- democracy. The alterna ve must be rootbilisa on to vote out a misfiring ed in a pro-people programme Government. But mobilisa on centred on expanding the proalone is not enough. Elec ons duc ve base of the economy. are not simply about removing an incumbent; they are about Agriculture must become offering ci zens a credible al- more produc ve; manufacterna ve. The opposi on must turing must create jobs; small therefore develop and present businesses must have access a clear poli cal and economic to affordable finance, reliable programme to a people who power and infrastructure; and have had enough of policy flip- government revenues from a flops, incoherence and oppor- growing produc ve economy must fund properly targeted tunism. Nigeria is at a crossroads. The social interven ons. Nigerians are not merely present crisis, severe as it is, can also become an opportunity to looking for a change of poli rethink how the country is gov- cal personnel. They are looking for a change in the OSUN DEFENDER direc on of goverPublisher – Moremi Publishing nance. House Ltd. The GovernDeputy Editor – Michael Bamigbola ment may be worAsst. News Editor – Yusuf Oketola ried about the next Deputy Photo Editor – Shola Aderinto elec on. Nigerians Deputy Graphics Manager – Zainab Olalere are worried about Produc on Controller – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa tomorrow morning. OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing That is the fundaHouse Limited, Behind Oranmiyan Building, Gbodofon, mental difference between poli cal Off Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. ISSN : 0794-8050 calcula on and govTelephone : 0809-301-9152 ernance. The oppoWebsite : www.osundefender.com/index.php si on must seize e-mail : osundefenderhq@gmail.com the moment and osundefenderbank@gmail.com offer the country All correspondence to the above email addresses. something be er.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2026 VOL. 21 NO 69 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
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HERE is something about leadership that goes beyond occupying an office. It is the ability to remain connected with ordinary people, understand their struggles, and leave behind structures and memories that con nue to speak long a er one has le office. This reminds me, in a modest way, of the story of David in the Bible. When David was anointed by Samuel to become king, he did not immediately sit on the throne. He con nued to live among ordinary people, serving, working and passing through experiences that prepared him for the responsibility ahead. His anoin ng did not separate him from the people. This is how I some mes reflect on Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. His poli cal eleva on did not, in my view, remove him from the ordinary people among whom his poli cal journey began. Whenever I travel on the Gbongan– Osogbo road, par cularly the sec ons developed and opened during his administra on, I some mes become silent for a moment and pray for the hand that started the work. A road is more than asphalt and concrete. It connects towns, opens economic opportuni es, makes movement easier and brings communi es closer together. When such infrastructure con nues to serve people long a er an administra on has le office, it becomes part of that administra on’s legacy. I remember, too, the way roads and other infrastructure opened up communi es across Osun State. For ordinary people, these were not simply government projects recorded in official documents. They became part of everyday life—roads to markets, schools, hospitals, farms, workplaces and places of worship. But infrastructure is only one dimension of leadership. There is also the human heart of leadership. One of the things that par cularly stays with me is the a en on given to
Tinubu’s Bid To Keep FBI Records Sealed Concerning, Suspicious – Nigerians P 2
OPINION
By OLADIPO LAWRENCE Aregbesola: In The Midst Of Ordinary People ordinary people, including elderly ci zens and people who might never have imagined that government could provide them with experiences beyond their immediate circumstances. I remember the opportunity given to ordinary people to visit Jerusalem, accompanied and cared for during the journey. For some elderly ci zens, such an experience may have been something they had only dreamed about. To see people who had spent their lives in ordinary circumstances being taken on such a journey, with the necessary care and companionship, was, to me, another expression of leadership that considered the human being and not merely the office. That is why I find the expression “in the midst of ordinary people” meaningful. Leadership should not make a person unreachable. There are people whose problems
remain unresolved simply because they do not know anybody powerful enough to listen to them. I remember the tes mony of a friend whose wife worked in the Correc onal Service. According to my friend’s account, she had been denied promo on for about fi een years, and the family felt that there was nobody to speak for her. During Aregbesola’s tenure as Minister of Interior, she came into contact with an Aregbesola-branded anointing cloth, and my friend believes that what followed became a turning point a er those years of disappointment. I share this as my friend’s tes mony of faith and gra tude not as a claim that a piece of cloth itself possesses supernatural power. What matters in the tes mony is the hope that came to a family that had almost lost confidence that their situa on could change.
This is another reason I understand why ordinary people run towards Aregbesola whenever they see him. They may not be seeing only a former governor or former minister. Some see a person with whom they can iden fy—a person they believe understands where they are coming from. There is something significant about a leader who can rise to high office and s ll be recognised by the people at the grassroots. David was anointed before he became king, but he s ll had to walk among ordinary people and pass through the experiences that prepared him for the throne. The lesson is not that every poli cal leader is David. Rather, it is that eleva on should not destroy one’s connec on with the people. When I think about Aregbesola’s years of public service, I therefore see two legacies worth remembering: the physical structures that remain visible and the human memories that remain in the hearts of people. The office may end, but the road remains. The posi on may expire, but the memory remains. The administra on may change, but the people remember. Perhaps that is why ordinary people s ll seek Aregbesola whenever they encounter him. They are not merely running a er a poli cian. They are running a er a memory of someone they believe once came close to them. And perhaps this is what ordinary people need again—not merely Aregbesola himself, but leaders and associates who understand that public service is ul mately about the people.
•Adekoya is an author, academic, public STRIKER affairs analyst and aStriker Journalist. is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above
“This is another reaEMOCRACY, magnificent as the concept is, does not work and son I understand why deliver automa cally simply its adop on. How well it works stand the test of adversity only if the sands at hand. Fearfully, this nonchaordinary people run upon or how badly it fails depends first and content of the character of the “de- lant, non-commi al a tude has crept on the ac ons and/or inac- termined” majority is in good stead. into the professions (from ar sanship towards Aregbesola foremost on of the poli cal elites. It then de- America has that, and strong ins tu- to Engineering and to Medicine) even whenever they see pends on the aggregate character of ons built and nurtured for centuries, as majority of Nigerians want the best people, in the final analysis. to thank for not relapsing into a “shit- of everything in life – for their world him. They may not be theNothing illustrates the impact that hole-country” just on account of four to look like paradise – without making or groups could have on years in the hands of bizarre manag- any effort, not to men on sacrifices. seeing only a former individuals ideals, however lo y, more graphi- ers. Every process of redemp on starts than recent events (pre-elec on, Democracy, like most ideals, won’t with reflec ons and a rethink, folgovernor or former cally through the elec ons, post-elec on, work un l it is made to work by com- lowed with the right a tude, commiton, to the Inaugura on of the mi ed democrats across all divides – ment and posi ve ac ons. Whether minister. Some see a transi Biden Administra on) in the United religious, ethnic, gender, etc. It took for the cause of restructuring Nigeria person with whom they States of America. The brunt of the effort for God to create the world and for genuine Republic and Federa on of Messr Trump and even now that it seems that He has put or the goal of true democra c govercan identify a person (mis)adventure Company – in four years – on centu- it on auto-pilot a er the crea on and nance, Nigerians are needed to stand American democra c tradi- fall of man, His occasional interven ons up and be counted, without fear, fathey believe under- ries-old on and ins tu ons will likely not be are seen here and there, else man re- vour or prejudice! Uncountable gods en for centuries too. directs its path to that of self-destruct. have died when their last devotee was stands where they are forgo I used to disagree with Frank Her- Commitment, ac ons and sacrifices by lost not to men on mighty na ons but not en rely anymore, when devotees are the oil in the engines of that are now only history, and not only coming from. There is bert, he said “Good governance never de- ideals; else they get knocked-down. ons, en re people have become something significant pends upon laws, but upon the person- Sadly, it is increasingly rare to find na ex nct! quali es of those who govern. The men and women genuinely commi ed In this 21st Century of cut-throat about a leader who almachinery of government is always not just to democracy but even to Ni- compe ons even among na ons to the will of those who geria itself; you see through the façade that are faring well, it is up to us to can rise to high office subordinate administer that machinery. The most and discern all kinds of commitment make up our minds about our collecelement of government, and exer ons but never something to ve des ny and, unfortunately, we and still be recognised important therefore, is the method of choosing democracy or Nigeria. The adversity simply don’t have all the me in the It is clear now, addi onally, has spread to other tenets; you will be world to do that. A democra c Federal by the people at the leaders.” that even methods of choosing – in- hard-pressed to find a dozen genuine Republic of Nigeria, for real, needs its cluding the democra c method – can adherents of any faith from many thou- patriots now. grassroots”
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Democracy Works
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Behind Oranmiyan Building, Gbodofon, Off Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, MICHAEL BAMIGBOLA, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefenderhq@gmail.com