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Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has criticised the leadership of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, questioning his control of the state and dismissing some of the administration’s reported achievements.
Sowore made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on the News Central TV Breakfast Show, where he was asked how he believed Adeleke had exploited the challenges facing residents of Osun State.
“The state capital looked like somewhere that just came out of war…”
AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore says Governor Ademola Adeleke has failed to provide effective leadership in Osun State, alleging that governance is controlled by the Adeleke family rather than the… pic.twitter.com/IWDYQzmcqH
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) August 13, 2026
“What I saw in Adeleke’s leadership is that the guy is not even in control of his government,” Sowore said, adding that he was “appalled” by the governor’s performance after watching his appearance on a television town hall.
Sowore also alleged that members of Adeleke’s family wield significant influence in the running of the state.
“What I know behind the scenes is… I heard his sister is the one running the state. And his elder brother, who is Davido’s father, also. So it’s a family, pretty much, running the state,” he said.
“But as a person, Ademola has nothing upstairs. I’m not sorry to say it,” he added.
Responding to claims that Adeleke’s administration had constructed more than 350 kilometres of roads, Sowore questioned the extent of the reported infrastructure development.
“I didn’t see 10 kilometres of highway in Osun State yesterday that you could claim to travel on. Maybe they constructed them somewhere else that we couldn’t find,” he said.
Sowore further criticised the condition of Osun’s capital, saying he saw little evidence of effective governance during his visit.
“Nothing that I saw shows that there’s governance in the state,” he said. “The state capital looked like, you know, a state that just came out of warfare.”
Asked about other achievements attributed to Adeleke’s administration, including improvements in Osun’s WAEC and NECO rankings and the payment of full salaries, Sowore remained critical of the governor’s record.
The discussion also turned to Adeleke’s recent visit to the Ooni of Ife, who reportedly praised and endorsed the governor.
Sowore dismissed the significance of the endorsement, saying, “The Oni applauds everybody that walks into his palace. That’s the job of the palace.”
When told that the monarch had endorsed Adeleke, Sowore responded: “The Oni would endorse anybody.”
He said he does not seek endorsements from traditional rulers and argued that monarchs should remain focused on cultural matters rather than politics.
“I don’t believe in traditional rulers. I think traditional rulers should stay on the cultural side of things and not get involved in politics,” Sowore said.
He extended the criticism to religious leaders, arguing that they should also avoid political interference.
“It’s the same thing I feel about religious leaders, who have turned the Aso Rock to their revolving door,” he said.
“You have no business visiting the president of a country. Stay on your pulpit, speak the truth, and let your members decide.”
