₦airaland Forum

Governor Ademola Adeleke is facing growing criticism over what insiders now describe as a high-stakes political bargain with Nyesom Wike, following a closed-door meeting in Abuja that reportedly lasted nearly three hours and exposed the depth of his re-election anxieties.

Multiple sources confirmed that the Osun governor met with Wike alongside key political figures, including the Osun State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sunday Bisi, and other top government officials, in what observers say was less a courtesy visit and more a strategic plea for political rescue.

At the heart of the meeting, insiders revealed, was Adeleke’s direct request for Wike’s backing as he grapples with the growing realisation that his current platform, the Accord Party, may lack the capacity to secure his re-election in 2026.


A source familiar with the discussions disclosed that Wike did not hesitate to signal support, assuring the governor of his readiness to deploy his political machinery.

“Wike promised to support him to win the election and made it clear he would use everything within his disposal to ensure Adeleke succeeds,” the source said.


The FCT minister was also said to have offered strategic guidance, drawing from his own political battles during his tenure as governor of Rivers State.

“He advised Adeleke on how to go about it and even referenced similar challenges he faced when he was governor. He told him to be firm, aggressive, and to fight through the opposition pressure,” the insider added

Perhaps most revealing, however, was Wike’s reported long-term expectation from the alliance. According to sources, he openly expressed a desire to see Adeleke return to the PDP fold after securing victory.

“He told him clearly that he would be happy to have him back as a PDP governor after the election, especially now that he sees himself as a national leader within the party,” the source disclosed.

The development has further fuelled concerns about Adeleke’s shifting political loyalties, with reports indicating that the governor may be simultaneously keeping lines open across multiple parties.

Even more controversial was Adeleke’s alleged request during the meeting that Wike should block potential internal threats by refusing to sell PDP nomination forms to aggrieved politicians who might defect from the Accord Party after failing to secure tickets.

“The governor specifically requested that no PDP nomination form should be sold to any aggrieved member who could not get the Accord Party ticket. Wike reportedly agreed to this,” the source revealed.

Critics say the request underscores the level of insecurity within Adeleke’s camp and raises questions about fairness and internal democracy.

“You leave a major party, join a weaker one, then return quietly to control the same structure you abandoned—this is not strategy, it is desperation,” a political analyst said.

The meeting, which insiders say lasted about three hours, is now being interpreted as a turning point in Adeleke’s re-election calculations—and a clear indication that the Accord Party may no longer be viewed as a viable vehicle for his political survival.


Governor Adeleke rode to power in 2022 on the strength of the PDP’s structure and national backing. However, his subsequent defection to the Accord Party disrupted that alignment and left his political base uncertain.

Since then, the Accord Party has struggled to demonstrate the organisational strength required to win a high-stakes governorship contest, with internal cracks and limited grassroots reach becoming increasingly evident.

Meanwhile, Wike has continued to consolidate his influence within Nigeria’s political space, positioning himself as a central power broker with eyes on broader national ambitions, including a potential role in shaping the 2031 political landscape.


A senior stakeholder summarised the situation bluntly: “This is a convergence of desperation and ambition. Adeleke needs survival, Wike is building influence. But alliances built on convenience rarely endure.”

As the 2026 election approaches, the emerging Adeleke-Wike alignment is likely to intensify political tensions in Osun, while raising broader questions about loyalty, ideology, and the future of party politics in Nigeria.

https://naijanewsdirect.com/osun-2026-power-play-adeleke-meets-wike-behind-closed-doors-naijanewsdirect/?amp=1

helinues:
Do you want me to renew your blocking? if no stop the years of trolling on this forum

Classic deflection, especially when the truth hits hard

OAFMods:
If your father mother n other member of your household are drowning in hunger n economic collapsed like you confessed, all you need do is speak out so those of us living large can save your wretched soul instead projecting the hunger n starvation you are going tru on well meaning Nigerians.

You are living large...

And I am speaking up

mascot87:
The defeat of your criminal coalition

What you’re actually seeing is the collapse of renewed hope agenda, a scam . A government engaging in reckless borrowing, despite removing subsidies, while plunging the country into deeper debt and inflicting hardship, hunger, worsening insecurity, and persistent power outages on Nigerians, then branding it all as ‘governance.’

helinues:
You can only open the eyes of neutral members not the Obidients. Those ones have made up their mind long time, there is nothing you can say about this government that will ever make sense to them

You created a thread on Nairaland announcing you were suspending your support for Tinubu and even encouraged your ilk to do the same because of the worsening insecurity under his watch. You took that stance because the government you support wasn’t making sense to you, yet you did a full 360 and went back to supporting it, even as insecurity got worse.

So why malign others who chooses not to support a government that still doesn’t make sense to them?

mascot87:
We shall see dude. ✌

What is there to see

The government of the day is busy pardoning hardened terrorists, terrorists who used the Nigerian military for target practice, ambushing and killing its men from major generals down to the lowest-ranking recruits. Now you want South East youths to enlist in that same military? No na.

allthingsgood:
I know U did not read the post but just jump to comment based on personal bias. Go back and try to read you hear. Thanks

the classic ‘you didn’t read’ deflection, very convenient when the substance is uncomfortable. I read it just fine. Since you’re so sure I didn’t, kindly explain what it’s actually about. I’ve already pointed to the core issue, withholding local government funds for over a year. If you have facts that say otherwise, bring them. Otherwise, ‘go back and read’ isn’t an argument, it’s just an escape route.

It's the season of political defection and alignment

Omoboricash:
The records are there for you. You easily visit eko atlantic if it real or not

I am not here to argue the ‘Lagos from scratch’ and ‘taming the Atlantic’ narrative about Tinubu. I’m asking why he’s now drowning a whole country in poverty, worsening insecurity, blackouts, and squeezing both the economy and democracy

alanto:
These people spent their whole Buhari time attacking Aregbesola of being a total failure. The same Aregbesola who said he doesn't understand the job he had to do as minister of interior. Now they are singing his praises to high heaven just the same way they are painting Obi white from the mud the dragged him through during and after his time as a governor.

If Tinubu can decame to ADC today. He'll be loved dearly by Obidients.

The pattern is all the same.
They now love El Rufai, Amaechi, Aregbe Kwakwanso these are people they detested for associating with Tinubu. They love them now because they are associating with the chief gbajue in charge. They used to love Bwala, Reno etal but it only takes spitting truth about their gbajue candidate to hate those people to hell.

Look at the mirror before pointing fingers.

You’re talking about shifting loyalties like it’s a one-sided game, but your own record is right there for everyone to see. You once praised El-Rufai to the heavens when he was leading the charge, mobilizing the North, and helping secure the APC ticket and eventual victory for Tinubu. Today, because he’s no longer in the APC camp, he suddenly becomes a terrórist and a corrupt man in your books and the books of The APC. What changed, his character or your convenience?

You dragged Reno Omokri through the mud when he was attacking Tinubu, even when he called him a known drug bárón and dared him to court, something that never happened. Now that Reno is singing a different tune and attacking Peter Obi, he’s magically your hero. Same man, same mouth, only your bias changed.

Let’s not even start with Femi Fani-Kayode, Daniel Bwala, and the rest. Your acceptance of them has always depended on who they’re speaking for, not what they stand for.

And now it’s Rauf Aregbesola you’re attacking. But when he was a governor under APC and aligned with Tinubu, you had zero issues with him. Suddenly he’s incompetent because he’s no longer in your camp?

This isn’t about “Obidients” or any other group. It’s about a pattern you’re clearly part of.

Stop the selective amnesia.

OAFMods:
One foolish souls from twitter said he took Anambra frlm least to number one in education. Abeg show us the prove of that. Lies wey we don't debunked tire for NL.

Peter Obi his the most foolish LIAR among all Nigeria Politicians.

I feel your anguish

But you said Tinubu built Lagos from scratch and even tamed the Atlantic Ocean, so why can’t he keep Nigeria from drowning in hunger and economic collapse?

Just a few seconds video, you don analyse him countenance. The way Tinubu/APC data boys dey follow ADC bumper to bumper is something else

HacheNoire:
Onanuga deserves a wage increase!

Dude is putting in that work!

Keeping the opposition on their toes!

He does know his job!

Those jobless Nigerians attacking him are just dots on the screen!

Onanuga knows nothing, he’s just a 70-year-old senior domestic servant and data boy whose job isn’t to showcase the achievements of his principal...(because there’s nothing to showcase, just hunger, worsening insecurity, electricity blackouts, and economic collapse), but to attack dissenting opinions and opposition leaders.

​By Erasmus Ikhide

​THE recent vitriolic outburst by Bayo Onanuga against Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is not just a study in sycophancy; it is a desperate attempt to rewrite history using the ink of hypocrisy.

To watch a man who built his reputation on the back of “guerrilla journalism” now serve as the chief laundromat for an administration drowning in its own ineptitude is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

​Bayo Onanuga’s attempt to paint Aregbesola as a failure is a classic case of a man pointing one finger while four others—soiled by the current administration’s blood-soaked and hunger-stricken reality—point back at him.

​The Myth of the “Broken State”

​Onanuga’s critique of Aregbesola’s tenure in Osun ignores a fundamental historical truth: Aregbesola inherited a state looted and hollowed out by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration. It is on record that the previous PDP government left Osun buried in a mountain of debt and administrative decay.

Aregbesola did not just govern; he built. From the “O-Meal” program that became a global model for social investment to the radical transformation of infrastructure and school feeding, Aregbesola gave Osun a soul when it had none. To blame him for the financial headwinds caused by the national economic downturn of that era is intellectually dishonest.

​The Hypocrisy on Insecurity

​Onanuga has the effrontery to mention the Kuje jailbreak while his principal presides over a nation where Brigadier Generals are slaughtered like chickens and soldiers are buried in mass graves weekly. Need we remind Bayo that in 2014, his current paymaster, then an opposition leader, demanded President Goodluck Jonathan’s resignation because he “could not secure the lives of Nigerians”?

By that same logic, why hasn’t Bayo advised President Tinubu to step down? Under the current “Renewed Hope” (now widely felt as “Renewed Hardship”), kidnappings have been decentralized to every nook and cranny of the federation. While Bayo churns out empty, soulless press releases from the comfort of the Villa, mothers are weeping in the forests of the North and the highways of the West.

​A Stellar Record vs. Empty Rhetoric

​While Onanuga attempts to diminish Aregbesola’s time as Minister of Interior, the statistics tell a different story—one of modernization and tangible results. Unlike the current administration’s reliance on intentions, Aregbesola delivered. He moved the Nigeria Immigration Service from manual drudgery to digital efficiency, implementing the MIDAS system at international airports and expanding visa categories from 6 to 79 to boost the Ease of Doing Business.

​Aregbesola didn’t just manage prisons; he initiated the construction of 3,000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centers and increased inmate enrollment in WAEC/NECO, focusing on rehabilitation over mere incarceration.

​Under his watch, the Federal Fire Service was revitalized, saving assets worth over N25 trillion and thousands of lives through the procurement of hundreds of modern fire engines. Aregbesola deployed over 1,500 specialized personnel to protect farmers—a stark contrast to the current reality where farmers have abandoned their lands for fear of being slaughtered.
​
The Economy of Despair

​Bayo Onanuga boasts about “relief measures” while the average Nigerian cannot afford a single square meal. Let us speak in numbers, Bayo. You claim inflation is falling, yet the price of a bag of rice has eclipsed the new minimum wage.

​The most damning indictment of this administration is the Crude Oil Math. This year’s budget was hinged on $66 per barrel. Today, with crude hovering near $200 per barrel in certain market windows or significantly higher than the benchmark, Nigerians are asking: Where is the excess profit? Why is the “excess” not reflecting in house rents, transportation costs, or school fees? The removal of the fuel subsidy without a credible cushion was not boldness; it was economic sabotage against the poor.

​The Merchant of Discord

​Finally, it is rich for Bayo Onanuga to preach about “national interest.” This is the same man whose name is synonymous with the ethnic profiling and slurs against the Igbo during the 2023 elections. A man who weaponized ethnicity to rig an election has no moral standing to lecture anyone on “desperados” or “power mongers.”

​Bayo, the real “scammers” are not those gathered at a political convention of African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday. The real scammers are those who promised “Renewed Hope” but delivered a funeral shroud. While you and your paymasters obsess over 2027, Nigerians are obsessing over how to survive until tomorrow morning.

​Rauf Aregbesola has a record he can defend. Can you say the same for the hunger and blood that define your current tenure?

No, Bayo. The mirror is your greatest enemy


https://osundefender.com/bayo-onanuga-vs-rauf-aregbesola-the-selective-amnesia-of-a-propaganda-merchant/

Presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, has come under severe attack by Nigerians over his recent comments against the former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.


Aregbesola had, during the national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as a scam.

But in a swift reaction, Onanuga, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, made attempts to defend the Tinubu administration.

However, Onanuga was attacked by Nigerians on various social media handles, especially his (Onanuga) Facebook page, with series of comments against him.


A Facebook user with the name Wahab Omo Abiona said “Bayo Onanuga, who is this? Can you answer this question. How much has your Boss spent on Electricity? Your Government has borrowed more than all the predecessors all together. What has been the achievement? Nothing, but Rice as solution to every problem. Ricenania

Also one Michael G Clark wrote on Onanuga’s Facebook page that “This attempt to discredit Aregbesola does not change the fact that Nigerians are currently facing severe economic pressure, insecurity and declining public trust in governance.


“You cannot defend present performance by endlessly recycling past political grievances while citizens struggle with real-time hardship. If the Renewed Hope Agenda is truly working, it should speak through visible results in people’s daily lives—not through attacks on dissenting voices.

Nigerians will change this government.

In another development, a Facebook user, Tunde Akogun, said, “You wrote a whole epistle without addressing the key issues raised by Ogbeni. In the end, your piece comes across as shallow, petty and reeks of chicanery.”


On his own, Banky Alesh wrote “Na soso grammar we dey read from you since inception of Tinubu broda Bayo! Honestly, I wonder how you will feel by the time Tinubu finishes his first and only term in office seeing how badly your person had turned into in the face of the whole world compared to your glorious days at The News Magazine defending the indefensible maladies of Tinubu administration.


On his own, Okechukwu Nwajuma wrote “Bayo Onanuga’s attempt to dismiss criticism by attacking Rauf Aregbesola collapses under the weight of the very record of the administration he is defending.


“If this is about accountability, then it must begin with his principal, Bola Ahmed Tinubu—whose governance record Nigerians are living through daily, not in theory but in harsh reality.

First, on the economy. It is disingenuous to claim success when millions of Nigerians are being pushed deeper into poverty under policies that were poorly sequenced and insensitively implemented.

“The abrupt removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira—without adequate safeguards—triggered runaway inflation, wiped out savings, and devastated small businesses. Claims that inflation has dropped dramatically or that food prices are “crashing” are far removed from lived experience in markets across the country. Nigerians are not suffering from amnesia—they are suffering from hunger.

“Secondly, on governance credibility. This is an administration that came into office under a cloud of legitimacy concerns and has struggled to build public trust. Rather than engaging dissent with humility, it has often resorted to propaganda, deflection and attacks on critics. Branding opposition voices as “desperados” does not substitute for performance.

“Thirdly, on security. It is simply not enough to say the government is “investing in equipment” while insecurity remains widespread. Across many parts of Nigeria, citizens still face banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks. The duty of government is not to manage narratives but to ensure safety. The persistence of these threats raises serious questions about strategy, coordination, and accountability within the security architecture.

“Fourthly, on policy outcomes. The so-called “Renewed Hope Agenda” cannot be measured by abstract macroeconomic indicators alone. What matters is whether ordinary Nigerians can afford food, transportation, healthcare, and education. On these counts, the situation has deteriorated significantly. Economic reforms without a human face become instruments of hardship rather than progress.

“Finally, the attempt to rewrite history by portraying past failures of others as justification for present inadequacies is a weak defence. If Rauf Aregbesola has questions to answer about his time in office, that does not absolve Bola Ahmed Tinubu of responsibility for current conditions. Leadership is about ownership, not excuses.

“Nigerians deserve honest leadership that listens, reflects, and corrects course—not one that dismisses criticism while citizens bear the brunt of policy failures. If anything, this moment calls for less spin and more accountability.”


Also, a Facebook user Olabanji Olaleye wrote

“If you like write epistle from now till tomorrow, our vote and support is for ADC.”


https://osundefender.com/nigerians-blast-onanuga-over-comments-on-aregbesola/

aworatak:
A lot of well meaning people on this forum have advised you to stop replying that particular unstable character who is desperately seeking attention on this forum but you won’t agree.
Soon you might begin reasoning like him.

I think I might have to consider this advice going forward

Another fake news tweet from the usual Tinubu/APC supporter, and the usual hordes will run with it.

Burob:
Nwokem, Chai. See bitterness .

Are you the one that withheld the Osun LGA funds?

So Tinubu and the APC have withheld Osun LGA funds for over a year, and ALGON, the NLC, and civil societies are acting like nothing’s wrong.

The level of impunity and undemocratic behavior is staggering, yet some still claim Tinubu fought for democracy. The contradiction speaks for itself.


Well, at this point, Nigerians have now realize that Tinubu is worst than Abacha, a NADECO wannabe, an opportunits who went behind to beg Abacha for a commissioner post betraying Abiola right in the middle of the democratic struggle

Bluntemperor:
Let Bala stay his lane,I take God beg you!
He cannot be of any benefits to any Political Party,as he is just going the last time of his Governorship era!
For A Governor that was sadly allegedly quoted saying,
' Education Na Formality '
is Too Deep to those who understand Deep Thing in 21 st Century!

But not as bad as a president who once mocked an opponent with ‘na statistics we go chop,’ only to now serve Nigerians a steady diet of undiluted propaganda stats and even claim the economy is better than Kenya’s. That’s the real joke.

There’s nothing in the APC, it’s a one-man show.

Tinubu isn’t Buhari, whose goodwill could carry others rather it’s your own goodwill that has to carry Tinubu. A tainted, discredited candidate, simply a bad market with no mass appeal.

fuckJones:
Logically,it was wike that defeat atiku

How?

By engaging in anti party activities in 2023,

Kenobsky:
Reno and FFK how market?
Hope no more characters needed?

Still ambassador-designate....rejected by their supposed host country.

Now conveniently recycled into the ‘Renewed Hope’ media propaganda machine to repackage Tinubu for yet another election season.

Good one

But some people will still hijack this innocent thread to vent bile and ethnic bigotry, dumping their frustrations on someone just living his life, someone who has absolutely nothing to do with their present pitiable predicament.

Peacecore:
Is like English language is your weakness

He said "polls". Is there polling unit in party primaries? Shun emotion and read to understand if you can

Funny how ‘polls’ is your biggest concern, not the outcome. Whether it’s a polling unit or party primaries, Atiku Abubakar still did the teaching, and Wike will remain an agbero use for dirty, anti party jobs. He can't rise above that level

sulaak:
I will not allow Atiku, Tinubu, or PO to be president of my toilet. One Nigeria no be by force.


We can't continue to recycle rubbish in the name of so-called democracy when the country's structure is the foundation of its failure. How can 12 states introduce political Sharia law in 1999 and still believe in democracy?

Noted

Is Wike referring to the same Atiku who defeated him in the 2019 PDP presidential primary, despite his efforts to influence it by bringing it to Port Harcourt and then defeated him again in 2022, when Wike himself was a contestant?

Wike is truly intoxicated on a 40-year-old whiskey.

Bluntemperor:
You are always Odd out of all the Comments.
• Who amongst the Aspirants -did your Atiku helped to get to where they were today- for Tinubu helped Osinbajo,if you must know !
It unfortunate you can't sleep without mentioning Tinubu or APC in a day and there many of you like that!
Your Hates and Bitterness will not destroy you.
Always read the messages well before commenting!

I’m not sure where you’re getting the urge to spew bile and ethnic bigotry, but it has nothing to do with my comment.

My response was to someone on Nairaland who claimed that Tinubu didn't attacked his competitors within the APC before, during, or after the 2022 primaries, a claim I already debunked citing the Osinbajo case

Whatever frustration you’re carrying, it isn’t mine to manage. Kindly direct it where it belongs.

Buhari with subsidy, borrowed N87trn, but Tinubu without subsidy, borrowed N151trn in 3 years—Melaye


Dino Melaye, a former senator and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, has criticised Nigeria’s current economic trajectory, comparing borrowing levels under former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.



Speaking in a video shared ahead of the 2027 general elections, Melaye argued that Nigeria’s debt has risen sharply within a short period under the present administration. His remarks come as opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, are reportedly working towards forming a coalition to challenge the ruling party.

Melaye questioned the impact of key economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, which was expected to ease fiscal pressure and reduce borrowing. According to him, this expectation has not been reflected in the country’s financial records.

He claimed that during Buhari’s administration, Nigeria accumulated about N87 trillion in debt while the subsidy regime remained in place. In contrast, he alleged that under Tinubu’s leadership, the country has recorded approximately N151 trillion in borrowing within three years, despite the removal of subsidy.


Using the comparison, Melaye raised concerns about the government’s fiscal policies, suggesting that the nation’s debt burden has worsened rather than improved. His comments add to growing public discourse on economic management, government spending, and the long-term implications of rising debt.

The development comes amid increasing political tension as the 2027 elections approach, with opposition groups intensifying efforts to present a united front. Meanwhile, debates continue among stakeholders, with supporters and critics offering differing perspectives on the effectiveness of current economic reforms

https://news-af.feednews.com/news/detail/d4d9c0d73c9ae7d12bb2fb803d6e692d?client=news

yarimo:
But all the 3 people mentioned in the thread are not even officially members of ADC na 🤣

Who is a member of a political party