Osun 2026 Gov’ship Election: Beyond Sentiments, Towards A Serious Conversation About The Future By Adeboye Adebayo

As we are approaching the 2026 governorship election gradually, one thing has become increasingly clear, our dear Osun State stands at a very critical crossroads. The next election must not be approached with shallow emotions, recycled propaganda, blind loyalty, or narrow political narratives.

Rather, it must become a season of deep reflection, intellectual engagement, policy debates, and strategic conversations about the future of Osun State and generations yet unborn.

Unfortunately, recent political discussions and campaign narratives from some quarters have continued to reduce the entire political atmosphere to a few repetitive talking points, particularly workers’ issues and endless references to past administrations.

While workers’ welfare is undeniably important in governance, reducing the destiny of an entire state to only salary discussions and political bitterness is both intellectually unfair and politically dangerous, governorship election is much bigger than that.

Nigeria itself is undergoing major economic restructuring under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through difficult but strategic reforms aimed at repositioning the economy for long-term sustainability.

One direct consequence of these reforms is the significant increase in revenue accruing to states through FAAC allocations and other federal interventions.

Today, states now receive far larger monthly allocations than what was obtainable a few years ago, at the last FAAC allocation, Osun received a whooping and unprecedented sum of N14BN, not to talk of local government.

Beyond normal FAAC inflows, there are various intervention funds, infrastructure support programmes, agricultural financing windows, health sector interventions, educational support schemes, and investment opportunities being made available by the Federal Government and international development partners. This automatically changes the expectations from governors and state governments.

The major question before Osun people therefore should not merely be: “Who paid salary?” or “Who did not pay salary?”

The more strategic questions for the sake of Osun should now be: Who has the vision to transform Osun into an economically productive state Who understands modern economic management? Who can attract investors and industries? Who can strategically utilize increased allocations for sustainable development? Who has the capacity to turn Osun into a major regional economic hub?Who can create jobs beyond government employment? Who can modernize agriculture and connect it to industrial production? Who can build a digital economy for Osun youths? Who can reposition Osun for the future economy?

These are the real conversations that should dominate the 2026 governorship election.

No responsible government should joke with workers’ welfare. Workers deserve salaries, pensions, promotions, and good working conditions. However, governance itself is a comprehensive responsibility that goes far beyond salary administration.

A governor is not elected merely to pay salaries. A governor is elected to lead development.

The future of Osun cannot be built solely around civil service conversations while ignoring critical sectors such as: Industrialization, Agriculture, Natural resources development, Technology and innovation, Tourism development, Infrastructure expansion, Healthcare modernization, Education reforms, Housing development, Transportation systems, Sports economy, Youth entrepreneurship, Foreign and local investment attraction, etc.

A state that depends almost entirely on federal allocation and salary cycles without productive economic expansion will continue to struggle regardless of who becomes governor.

One major challenge in Nigerian politics is the weaponization of emotions against rational thinking. Political actors often deliberately reduce public discourse to emotional blackmail, propaganda, sycophancy, and personality worship instead of policy-based engagement. This weakens democratic development.

The people must understand that elections are not entertainment festivals or warfare between political loyalists. Elections are recruitment exercises for leadership and management of public resources.

The citizens of Osun therefore have a duty to rise above: propaganda, blind sentiments, political insults, social media manipulation, and emotional tribalism.

Instead, the people must begin to interrogate candidates based on: competence, vision, character, economic understanding, administrative capacity, team quality, developmental philosophy,
and practical solutions.

Osun possesses enormous untapped opportunities: vast agricultural land, solid minerals, strategic location, energetic youth population, growing educational institutions, tourism potential and access to Southwest commercial networks, yet, the state still operates below its true economic potential.

The next governor must therefore think beyond routine governance. Osun needs transformational leadership capable of building: industrial clusters, agro-processing zones, technology hubs, export-oriented businesses, modern markets, transport systems, independent energy solutions and sustainable urban development. The conversation must move from “sharing allocation” to “creating wealth.”

Political campaigns should not merely attack opponents or manipulate public emotions.

Campaigns should serve as platforms for public education. Every serious governorship candidate should clearly explain: their economic blueprint, funding strategy,revenue generation plans, industrial policy, youth employment roadmap, agricultural modernization strategy, healthcare reforms,infrastructure priorities and measurable development targets.

The era of vague promises and emotional slogans should gradually come to an end. Osun people deserve intelligent conversations.

Ultimately, the governorship election is not only about who occupies Government House. It is about determining the developmental direction of Osun State for the next decade and beyond. The decisions made in 2026 will influence: economic growth, youth opportunities, investment climate, infrastructure quality, security, social stability and the future competitiveness of Osun within Nigeria and West Africa.

This is why the political conversation must rise above narrow narratives and shallow campaigns.

Osun deserves issue-based politics. Osun deserves developmental debates. Osun deserves visionary leadership. Osun deserves intellectually honest campaigns. And above all, Osun deserves a future-driven governorship election centered on the prosperity and progress of the people.

The time has come for politics in Osun to mature beyond sentiments and evolve into a serious conversation about sustainable development, economic transformation, and generational progress.

Comrade Adeboye Adebayo, who is an APC Chieftain in Osun, is an Executive Member of Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation, AGF, Member of APC Professional Forum, Abuja. He also served as Spokesman, 2023 Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.