The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has advised Governor Ademola Adeleke to stop overreacting to a recent remark made by former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye, describing the governor as a “caretaker.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the APC dismissed the backlash from Adeleke’s camp as exaggerated and unnecessary.
Owoeye’s comment, made during a radio appearance in Osogbo, drew criticism from the governor’s aides, allied civil society groups, and PDP loyalists. But the APC said the intensity of their reactions betrays deeper anxieties within the ruling party.
“The comment from the former Speaker has unsettled the PDP. It appears he touched a nerve, prompting a barrage of attacks that are out of proportion with what was said” the statement read.
The APC argued that the PDP’s reaction suggests it is grappling with more than just a political jab. It pointed to recent defections from the PDP to the APC, notably that of Hon. Wole Oke, a senior member of the House of Representatives, as a possible reason for the heightened tension within Adeleke’s camp.
“These defections have rattled the PDP’s leadership and disrupted their confidence. It’s no surprise that the party is lashing out, unable to contain the disarray within its ranks” the statement continued.
The opposition party also highlighted the reinstatement of its chairmen and councilors by the Court of Appeal as a fresh blow to the PDP’s standing across local government councils in the state.
Reaffirming its commitment to democratic processes, the APC stated that it is preparing to contest and win the 2026 governorship election “fairly and squarely,” insisting that electoral malpractices allegedly seen in the past would not be tolerated.
The APC party maintained that Owoeye’s comment was a reflection of free speech and not an attempt to undermine the governor’s authority. “No amount of defensiveness from the PDP can change public perception of a government that has underwhelmed on key fronts,” the APC added.
