OLALEKAN ONI
In politics, time is not neutral. Every year in office either moves a state forward or quietly pushes it backwards. Two years into the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, Osun State finds itself asking an uncomfortable but unavoidable question: what exactly has been gained from this period in government?
Beyond catchy slogans and performative optimism, the evidence of purposeful governance remains thin. Osun is not suffering from a lack of goodwill; it is suffering from a deficit of direction.
Governance is not entertainment. It is not about viral moments or personal popularity. It is about policy coherence, institutional discipline, and the hard, often unglamorous work of building systems that outlive the individual in office.
Yet, two years on, Osun struggles to point to landmark policies or transformative projects that reflect serious planning or long-term vision. What citizens see instead is a government heavy on public theatrics but light on measurable achievements.
This is not a question of patience; it is a question of performance.
Infrastructure should be the clearest signature of any serious administration. Roads should open up commerce, industrial zones should attract investment, and public works should stimulate economic activity. Unfortunately, Osun has witnessed little beyond routine interventions and inherited projects repackaged as new achievements. Rural communities remain poorly connected, urban roads deteriorate faster than they are repaired, and there is no compelling infrastructure narrative capable of driving economic expansion. A government that cannot build decisively cannot grow decisively.
At a time when states must aggressively court private investment, Osun appears uncertain of its economic identity. Investors are not attracted by sentiments; they are attracted by stability, clarity, and competence. What they see in Osun today is zero policy direction and weak economic signaling. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, small businesses struggle without structured support. There is no clearly articulated economic blueprint that reassures citizens or markets that Osun is on a sustainable growth path. A state that drifts economically eventually pays socially.
One of the most dangerous features of the current administration is the personalization of governance. Strong states are not run by personalities; they are run by institutions. Where institutions are weak, governance becomes erratic, reactive, and inefficient while Osun today suffers from this institutional fragility, decision-making appears ad hoc, coordination is poor, and policy implementation lacks the rigor required for impact. Government is reduced to gestures instead of governance.
Supporters of the administration may argue that two years is too short a time for assessment. History disagrees. Serious governments establish direction early. They inspire confidence quickly. They signal competence unmistakably; what Osun has experienced instead is hesitation, inconsistency, and underwhelming delivery. These are not signs of a government warming up; they are symptoms of a government struggling with the demands of leadership.
Elections are not sympathy contests, they are evaluations. Osun people must now decide whether a government that has failed to maximize its first opportunity deserves a second chance. The All Progressives Congress (APC) presents a clearer alternative anchored in administrative experience, structured governance, and a deeper understanding of how to translate policy into progress. APC’s gubernatorial candidate represents competence over charisma, strategy over sentiment, and results over rhetoric.
Osun stands at a crossroads. One path leads to the continuation of uncertainty, missed opportunities, and governance driven by optics. The other leads toward disciplined leadership, institutional strength, and purposeful development, the choice should not be difficult.
For the future of its economy, the dignity of its workers, and the aspirations of its youths, Osun must reject the underperformance of the current administration and embrace the APC and its candidate not out of nostalgia, but out of necessity because governance is serious business and Osun cannot afford another wasted term.
– Olalekan Oni
lekanoni1710@gmail.com