News
Aregbesola Fires Back At Adeleke, Lists Achievements In Office
Former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has hit back at the Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, over his comment describing former governor Aregbesola’s eight-year tenure as ‘worst in the history’ of the state.
In what appears as a ‘tit-for-tat’ response, the former minister described the attack as unfortunate just to curry favour from the presidency.
Aregbesola, however, maintained that launching constant attacks on others “do not improve the lives of our people, they only reveal desperation.”
Speaking through one of his media aides, Ileowo Kikiowo, the former minister said, “our intention is not to trade insults or respond to every provocation. What we stand for is clear, a People-Friendly Government and people-centred politics that puts the needs and aspirations of Osun citizens first.
“The essence of leadership is making tough decisions to protect the welfare of the majority. That is exactly what Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola did as Governor.
“The results speak for themselves. Under his leadership, Osun recorded the lowest unemployment rate, lowest poverty rate, and lowest crime rate in Nigeria, facts confirmed by independent institutions like the NBS and UNDP.
“This impact was made possible because we took bold steps: investing in over 1,200 km of roads, including 600 km of rural roads, building 3,685 new classrooms, supporting over 27,000 MSMEs, and empowering 60,000 youths through the OYES programme.”
“Over 700,000 people were lifted out of poverty, and 1.59 million jobs were created through our MSME drive. In tough times, instead of mass retrenchment, we protected jobs, the lower cadre received full pay, while higher-level officers made temporary sacrifices. That is leadership. That is Ogbeni’s legacy. What is theirs? Constant attacks on others just to curry favour from the presidency do not improve the lives of our people, they only reveal desperation.”
Also, Mr Sola Fasure, another Aregbesola’s media aide, faulted Governor Adeleke for attacking his principal.
He described the allegations Adeleke made against Aregbesola as “a new low” and a ploy for the governor to be accepted in the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he is allegedly making moves to join.
Even though Adeleke had denied any plan to defect to APC ahead of the 2026 governorship election, Fasure, in a post he made on his Facebook page on Tuesday, apparently reacting to Adeleke’s revelation that Aregbesola is the worst governor Osun has ever produced, told Adeleke that he is not wanted in APC.
Fasure wrote, “A new low: Attacking Aregbesola in order to be accepted by APC. I am not sure they still want you!”
Earlier, Tribune Online reports that the relative relationship between the Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, and the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, appears to have turned sour, as the incumbent governor on Monday blasted him, describing his tenure as “the worst in Osun history.”
The governor, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed in Osogbo, said he was reacting to Aregbesola’s threats to remove him from office in 2026, saying Osun is still suffering from the ‘inhumane maladministration inflicted on the state’ during Aregbesola’s time in office.
An Islamic human rights group has given Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa, a fortnight to demonstrate a clear improvement in security across Sokoto state or step down from office.
As reported by Leadership, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) issued the ultimatum in a press statement on Saturday, August 22, 2026, signed by its executive director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola.
The group said the minister had failed to honour a pledge he made when he assumed office to end killings across the country. PM News also noted MURIC’s calls.
MURIC said at least 43 people and an Imam were killed in Sokoto state within the past three weeks, while 19 others were kidnapped in the same period.
The group described the victims as all being Muslims and framed the attacks as an assault on the symbolic heart of Islam in Nigeria.
“If Abuja is Nigeria’s political capital, if Lagos is the country’s economic hub, then Sokoto is the heart of Islamdom in Nigeria,” Akintola wrote in the statement.
“Any attack on Sokoto is deemed by Nigerian Muslims as an attack on Muslims in general.”
The group held the Nigerian Army directly responsible for the security failures in and around the state, and demanded what it called an “iron-clad defence mechanism” in the area.
MURIC also pointed to a recent warning from the Department of State Services (DSS) that terrorists were planning to attack tertiary institutions in Sokoto state, describing it as the moment that pushed the group to act.
“The Defence Minister has reneged on his pledge to stop killings. He has failed the people of Sokoto. He has failed Nigerians,” the statement read.
The group recalled Musa’s own words on assuming office: “I knew that I could not afford to fail myself, fail my nation, fail my family,” and said his conduct in office had contradicted that commitment.
MURIC gave the minister until Monday, August 24, 2026, as the start date of the 14-day countdown, demanding visible and verifiable changes to the security apparatus in and around Sokoto within that window.
The group was explicit that the city must be made, in its words, “impregnable and unassailable,” adding that “no single ant must climb on the Sultan’s skin.”
“The alternative is for the minister to submit his letter of resignation on or before the ultimatum. There is no other option on the table,” the statement concluded.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, has reportedly died.
It was gathered that the APC Chairman died after slumping during a party reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.
According to TVC, Solomon collapsed on Friday while participating in a meeting convened by Funsho Olumoko, a former Chairman of the Ijumu Local Government Area.
The meeting was held to strengthen unity among APC stakeholders in the area ahead of the 2027 general election. Sources said Solomon suddenly collapsed while proceedings were ongoing, causing confusion among participants.
Efforts were reportedly made to revive him before he was rushed to a hospital in Kabba for medical attention. However, he was said to have died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The reconciliation meeting came amid ongoing efforts by APC stakeholders in Ijumu to resolve internal disagreements and promote greater unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier in August, APC stakeholders in the local government gathered in Iyara, where they endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Governor Usman Ododo for re-election.
The stakeholders also called for unity among party members. However, the earlier gathering was reportedly characterised by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some other officials said to have walked out of the meeting.
Tension and grief have gripped the political community in Enugu State following the reported death of Chisimdiri Ngwu, chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Udenu Local Government Area.
Ngwu, described as one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in circumstances believed to be suspicious.
The deceased, who hailed from Orba in Udenu Local Government Area, was reportedly strangulated, according to information gathered by The Trumpet.
A family source, who spoke, said Ngwu left his home shortly after waking up on Wednesday morning, but never returned alive.
“He woke up early in the morning on Wednesday and walked out and that was the last we heard of him,” the source said.
The source said family members became alarmed after discovering that Ngwu was missing, only to later find his lifeless body outside the compound.
“When we woke up, we didn’t see him only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound. We saw scratches on his neck which was twisted backwards,” the source added.
The circumstances surrounding the politician’s death have heightened concerns among members of the ADC and residents of the community, with calls for a thorough investigation to unravel what led to his death.
Reports indicate that two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, although details of their identities and the circumstances of their arrest were not immediately available.
The development has cast a pall over the ADC in Enugu State, coming at a politically sensitive period ahead of the 2027 general elections.
BREAKING: Minister of Defence Musa Told to Resign from Tinubu’s Cabinet; Reason Emerges
Turkey: Osimhen Climbs To Third On Galatasaray’s All-Time Foreign Scorers List
Ronaldo Scores 977th Career Goals, 130 For Al Nassr
Former Super Eagles Star Loses Life Savings, Duped By A Pastor of ₦1.2 Billion
I’m A Married Man, I Can Never Get Myself Involved With Such A Thing, Delta Gov Aide Reveals Why He Offered Comfort ₦500,000 Job
Lagos Imposes ₦250,000 Fine For Illegal Waste Disposal
-
Entertainment2 days ago‘Ayra Starr Has Definitely Changed My Life’ – Don Jazzy
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: APC Chairman Collapses, Dies
-
Entertainment2 days agoWhat I Do When A Child Calls Me By Name – Shaffy Bello
-
Entertainment2 days agoWanting Marriage Is Not Desperation – Bella Opens Up On Breakup With Sheggz
-
Entertainment2 days agoI Have A Crush On Your Wife, Adesua Etomi – Isbae U Tells Banky W
-
Sports2 days agoRonaldo Scores 977th Career Goals, 130 For Al Nassr
-
News14 hours agoBREAKING: Minister of Defence Musa Told to Resign from Tinubu’s Cabinet; Reason Emerges
-
Sports2 days agoTurkey: Osimhen Climbs To Third On Galatasaray’s All-Time Foreign Scorers List