A political row erupts in Osun State as the APC and the Adeleke-led government exchange accusations over a controversial billboard featuring President Tinubu

A political controversy has ignited in Osun State, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state government, led by Governor Ademola Adeleke, engaging in a heated exchange of words over a contentious billboard featuring President Bola Tinubu and Governor Adeleke in Iwo town.

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The billboard, bearing the inscription “Continuity of Progress” and attributed to a group called “Osun Leaders of Thought,” was reportedly erected in the early hours of Wednesday. It prominently displays images of both President Tinubu and Governor Adeleke.

Kola Olabisi, the APC’s Director of Media and Information, condemned the billboard as a “fraudulent political stunt.”

He criticised its placement, alleging that it was designed to create a false impression of political alignment between the president and Governor Adeleke.

“This is the absurd playing of dirty politics taken too far,” Olabisi stated in a press release on Thursday. “There could not be any acceptable reason for the sponsorship of the fraudulent billboard.”

He described the display as a “nose and eye sore” and an act of “political heresy,” asserting that the APC disassociates itself from the campaign and its implied messages.

According to the APC, the billboard was orchestrated by unnamed individuals attempting to falsely link President Tinubu with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government.

“No matter the antics being played… the efforts to dubiously sell their unsellable political product have refused to fly,” Olabisi declared.

In response, Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson for Governor Adeleke, accused the APC of suffering an “integrity crisis” and being unsettled by the governor’s growing popularity.

“The opposition is by now scrambling on what to say. The opposition is confused about the groundswell of support for Governor Adeleke across party lines,” Rasheed stated.

He cited recent accomplishments of the Adeleke administration, including a cultural tourism partnership with the British Museum and business collaborations through the Nigeria-UK Chamber of Commerce, as sources of the APC’s anxiety.

He also pointed to endorsements from federal and non-governmental bodies as evidence of rising approval, accusing the APC of spreading misinformation and being unable to contend with its declining credibility.

“The opposition is therefore running amok, ranting over billboards,” Rasheed concluded.