Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has lashed out at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing the current state of the nation as a season of “renewed agony” rather than the promised “Renewed Hope.”
Oyinlola’s stinging remarks come in the wake of a controversial endorsement of President Tinubu’s re-election bid by the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Speaking on Frontline, a political talk show aired on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Tuesday, the retired army general distanced himself from the endorsement, calling it a mere political strategy devoid of ideological conviction or public interest.
“When he was campaigning, he promised Nigerians Renewed Hope,” Oyinlola said. “But what we are witnessing now is renewed agony. The economy is battered, insecurity is worsening, and Nigerians are struggling to breathe.”
Oyinlola, who served as governor between 2003 and 2010, reeled out a list of what he described as failures of the current administration — including deepening poverty, mounting insecurity, rising cost of living, and an alarming collapse in public trust.
“The common man cannot afford medication. We are battling terrorism, banditry, and religious tension. What we have now is not hope. It is hardship,” he declared.
Oyinlola also rejected any suggestion of a return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party he helped form in 2013, stressing that he remains politically independent.
“I have no cause to return to the APC. What’s happening now is not about ideology; it’s about power. But I will not be part of a charade,” he said.
His comments appear to contradict recent moves by Governor Adeleke, who, alongside other Osun PDP stakeholders, endorsed Tinubu’s second-term bid during a meeting at the Government House, Osogbo, on July 22.
The former governor further alleged that the Presidency is mounting pressure on opposition governors, including Adeleke, to defect to the ruling APC.
“It is no longer a secret. Many governors are being courted to jump ship. What is happening in Osun is part of a wider national trend — the politics of coercion and compromise,” he said.
Oyinlola warned Adeleke against any hasty political moves, especially as APC remains unpopular in Osun.
“If he defects and the people reject him, that’s double jeopardy. He is walking a political tightrope,” he cautioned.
On the lingering controversy over withheld local government allocations, Oyinlola advised Governor Adeleke to rise above partisan politics and seek the release of Osun’s funds from the Federal Government.
“If I were him, I would go and appeal directly to the President, not as a PDP governor, but as a leader of his people. The people are suffering,” he stated.
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