Osun Will Not Return To Outdated Economic Practices – Adeleke Dismisses APC Candidate Oyebamiji’s Policy Agenda

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Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has sharply criticised the newly released economic policy framework of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Muniru Bola Oyebamiji, describing it as obsolete, poorly conceived, and disconnected from the present socio-economic realities of the state.

In a statement released on Sunday, January 25, in Osogbo, the governor said a thorough assessment of the APC candidate’s proposals revealed what he characterised as backward thinking, which he said contradicts the progressive stance Oyebamiji claims to represent.

According to Adeleke, the policy blueprint appears to be a calculated move aimed at reversing the economic progress his administration has recorded so far, adding that the plan would push Osun back into an era marked by capital flight and harsh taxation.

The governor accused Oyebamiji of attempting to reintroduce policies that previously encouraged economic dependence on Lagos while imposing burdensome taxes that worsened poverty levels among residents.

“By his own admission, Mr Oyebamiji seeks to return Osun to an era of capital flight to Lagos and reintroduce suppressive tax systems that would plunge the people back into extreme poverty,” Adeleke stated.

Drawing a clear contrast, Adeleke explained that his administration’s economic strategy is firmly rooted in local content development, community empowerment, and inclusive economic expansion.

He highlighted key components of his government’s plan, including citizen empowerment initiatives, financial inclusion for artisans and cooperatives, accelerated infrastructure development, expansion of the tax base with reduced rates, and comprehensive reforms to simplify business operations and attract investors.

Additional focus areas, he said, include agro-industrial development through the revival of economic and free trade zones, alongside reforms in the mining sector designed to diversify Osun’s revenue streams.

“Our development framework is people-driven in design and people-centred in execution,” the statement noted.

The governor further revealed that his administration had already injected nearly ₦4 billion into grassroots economic empowerment through artisan and cooperative financing schemes.

He added that local enterprises had been strengthened through strict enforcement of local content policies in public procurement and workforce engagement, while the Osun Digital Economy Hub had been revitalised to position the state within the fast-growing global digital economy.

Adeleke also disclosed that the state has improved internally generated revenue through tax harmonisation and digitisation, reactivated industrial production via the resuscitation of free trade zones, reduced the debt burden through responsible fiscal management, and relaunched agro-mechanisation and cocoa production initiatives.

Describing Oyebamiji’s blueprint as shallow and poorly structured, the governor alleged that the APC candidate merely recycled policies already being executed by his administration.

He accused Oyebamiji of copying existing reforms across critical sectors such as taxation, industrial development, revenue automation, public-private partnerships, and agro-industrial advancement.

“The AMBO proposal represents a backward economic model that threatens local enterprise development by undermining crucial local content policies,” Adeleke said.

The governor also rejected claims in the APC candidate’s document concerning power supply and digital economy reforms, noting that his government had already taken substantial steps in those sectors.

He revealed that the Osun State Electricity Bill had been signed into law, providing a legal framework for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, with implementation already underway.

On digital development, Adeleke stated that Osun has been positioned as a major technology hub through several ICT and digital economy laws currently being implemented to harness opportunities within the global tech industry.

Adeleke described as “disturbing and unacceptable” the suggestion to anchor Osun’s economy on Lagos through what he called an outdated capital flight model.

While acknowledging ongoing regional cooperation among South-West states under the Oodua framework, he warned that the proposed Lagos corridor strategy would weaken Osun’s local content policy and disrupt efforts to establish a sustainable agro-industrial and digital economy.

“The Lagos corridor proposal is a direct attempt to undermine Osun’s local enterprise development and derail our long-term economic growth agenda,” the statement concluded.

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