The Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Osun State and former IPAC Chairman, Hon. Adewale Adebayo, has criticized Governor Ademola Adeleke for what he described as fiscal underperformance, citing Osun’s position as the lowest Value Added Tax (VAT) generator among South-West states in the Q1 2025 report.

• The report, published by StatiSense, ranked Osun State at the bottom of VAT contributors in the region, generating just ₦5.95 billion, far behind its neighbours like Ekiti, Ogun, and Ondo.

Adeleke Accused of Turning Osun into a Liability

Adebayo accused the PDP-led state government of failing to boost local productivity or contribute meaningfully to national economic growth.

• “Governor Adeleke has nothing to offer this state apart from entertainment,” Adebayo said in a statement on Sunday.

• “Osun under Adeleke has become a burden to the federal government by contributing next to nothing to national development, dragging the country back.”

He further described the disparity between Osun’s VAT contribution and its federal allocation of ₦21.23 billion as alarming, comparing it unfavorably to Ekiti State, which received ₦19.63 billion but contributed more VAT.

• “This reflects a chronic lack of innovation and productivity under Adeleke’s administration,” he added.

APM Urges Focus on Economic Revitalization

The APM chairman called on the state government to revive small businesses, modernize agriculture, and improve the ease of doing business to reverse the economic downturn.

“The future of Osun cannot depend on federal generosity alone. A state that once led in education, agriculture, and enterprise must not settle for crumbs,” Adebayo said.

PDP Fires Back: APM’s Criticism Is Misinformed and Political

In a swift response, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed Adebayo’s remarks as mischievous and misleading.

“VAT generation is not a magic tap. It takes structural economic planning, market expansion, industrial growth, and consumer strength,” Bamiji said.

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He pointed out that Governor Adeleke inherited a debt-ridden and weakened economy from the 12-year APC rule that APM now represents, noting that the current administration is actively rebuilding the state’s economy.

“The Adeleke government is reviving the local economy by empowering SMEs, artisans, farmers, and promoting digital entrepreneurship,” Bamiji added.

According to him, these initiatives are already impacting the state’s GDP growth and will soon reflect in VAT performance as well.

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