Politics

Osun Govt, APC Bicker Over State’s Debt Portfolio

Published

12 months ago

December 8, 2024

The Osun State Government and the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Party have expressed divergent opinions with regards to the state’s debt profile.

Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson for the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, said the debt portfolio inherited by the present administration has been reduced in the last two years after repayment made by the state government.

While Rasheed blamed the past administration of the state for incurring the debts, the state’s spokesperson for the state APC chapter, Mr Kola Olabisi, urged the state government to desist from blaming the opposition party whenever questions were raised regarding the state’s finances.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Osogbo, the state capital, Rasheed’s comments come in response to claims in a report published by an online newspaper (not PUNCH) which said Adeleke has added more to the state’s debt burden in the last two years.

Rasheed, who dismissed the report, said figures from the Debt Management Office indicate the state’s reduced debt portfolio, as he accused the APC of being the unseen hands behind the said report.

Quoting from the figures released by the DMO, Rasheed said, that as of June 2024, Osun’s domestic and external debts reduced by 42% and 15% in the last two years, respectively.

“The truth remains that the Osun State debt profile has reduced under the leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the last two years. Data doesn’t lie and cannot be hidden.

“The domestic debt of Osun was ₦148.37 billion as of December 2022 but it has now reduced to ₦86.06 billion as of June 2024. In the same manner, the foreign debt as of December 2022 was $91.78 million but it has now reduced to $78.17 million as of June 2024.

“What this also means in terms of figures is that Governor Adeleke has paid back ₦62.31bn as domestic debt and paid off $13.61m in foreign debt. This is the burden the APC-led past administration imposed on the people of the state. If this administration hadn’t inherited those debts, these said amounts would have been better used for the good people of Osun State.

“The online medium failed to do due diligence and published APC’s fabricated fake news. The figures published by the DMO have now exposed the falsehood and fake news. The fact remains that Governor Adeleke has not taken any loans. There is transparency and accountability in this government. We are concerned about the welfare of the people and we will keep doing that,” Rasheed said.

However, Olabisi, who said the facts available pointed to an increase in the debt portfolio, added that whatever being said by the government about the report was an afterthought.

He said, “Whatever he is pushing to the public now regarding the state debt portfolio is an afterthought which cannot be relied upon. 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 (Rasheed) get his figures? It is known to all and sundry. More so, he should stop blaming us for whatever mess they are creating for themselves. They can’t continue to blame us for their ineptitude.”
PUNCH

Related Topics:ADELEKE Osun Osun government

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Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

5 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.

Politics

2027: I Will Resign If Tinubu Loses In Edo – Governor Okpebholo

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholor has vowed that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in Edo State.

Okpebholor in an interview captured in a viral video vowed to resign if the outcome of the 2027 election does not favour the president in Edo State.

According to him, the entire people in Edo State are ready to vote for the president, citing projects that his (Okpebholor) administration executed since the All Progressives Congress, APC took over the state.

He claimed that there is no opposition in the state, stressing that everyone is supporting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said, “There is no opposition here in Edo everybody is for Asiwaju in this state.

“Tinubu is more popular than me in Edo state. If he doesn’t win the presidential election in Edo in 2027, I will resign.”