Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, said his administration had paid more than N80 billion in inherited pension obligations and cleared over two-thirds of the state’s outstanding half-salary arrears as he defended his record ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

Adeleke made the disclosure at the Arise TV Osun 2026 Governorship Town Hall in Osogbo, where he presented his administration’s achievements and outlined plans for a second term.

Also read: ‘I’m a bulldozer’: Adeleke dismisses 34-governor challenge

The governor said the scale of inherited liabilities had made it difficult for the state to meet its obligations when he assumed office in 2022, but argued that his administration had demonstrated that longstanding financial problems could be addressed with political will.

“I’m proud of all I have achieved in the last four years. But specifically, I am happy about workers’ welfare,” Adeleke said.

The governor said his administration had made workers’ welfare a central part of its governance agenda, particularly through efforts to reduce pension and salary arrears.

“Our government has paid over two-thirds of the half-salary debt. We have paid over N80 billion of inherited pension debt. We have reformed the public service. I’ve also implemented several measures for workers’ welfare,” he said.

Adeleke’s claim is consistent with recent statements from his administration and reports on his workers’ welfare record. At a workers’ town hall earlier in August, the governor said his government had cleared more than N80 billion in inherited salary and pension obligations.

However, figures published by the Osun State Government in an earlier mid-term scorecard presented a different stage of progress, reporting that more than 35 per cent of inherited pension debt and 40 per cent of inherited salary debt had been liquidated at that point.

Beyond workers’ welfare, Adeleke used the town hall to highlight infrastructure and social-sector projects undertaken since he became governor.

He listed 350 kilometres of roads, three flyover bridges, six dualised roads, the rehabilitation of more than 200 primary healthcare centres and 150 schools among the projects he said had been delivered.

The governor also cited the establishment of the University of Ilesa, the purchase of 31 tractors and the disbursement of almost N2 billion in cooperative funds as examples of his administration’s efforts to expand economic and social opportunities in the state.

Recent reporting on Adeleke’s record has similarly focused on roads, healthcare, workers’ welfare and public-service reforms as central elements of his re-election campaign.

Adeleke is seeking a second term after winning the 2022 Osun governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He subsequently left the PDP and is now contesting under the Accord Party. Explaining the decision, Adeleke said the crisis within the PDP made it difficult for him to remain with the party, despite his long-standing attachment to it.

“I left the PDP to join Accord because of the crisis in the PDP then. I love PDP so much, and it was difficult to leave,” he said.

The governor also addressed concerns about security and alleged political interference ahead of Saturday’s election.

Adeleke accused the Nigeria Police Force of adopting what he described as a partisan posture and alleged that members of his political camp had been arrested and detained.

He claimed that four Accord leaders had been arrested on the previous day and alleged that seven members of his party had been killed, while more than 20 others had suffered gunshot injuries.

Adeleke further claimed that more than 60 Accord members were being held in what he described as illegal police detention. He said he had raised the matter with President Bola Tinubu and Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu.

The allegations have not been independently established in the information available for this report, and the police would need to respond to the specific claims.

The governor urged the authorities to ensure that security agencies remain neutral during the election, stressing that their responsibility was to protect voters and maintain order rather than influence the electoral process.

“I’m asking for a free and fair election. Nothing more,” Adeleke said.

The governor also referred to the recent controversy surrounding the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s freezing of Osun State government accounts and said he appreciated President Tinubu’s intervention.

Despite the political tensions surrounding the election, Adeleke struck a confident tone about his prospects.

“I’m not worried that I’m contesting against a party that has 34 governors; I’m a bulldozer,” he said, arguing that governors from rival parties would not determine the outcome because the people of Osun would cast the votes.

The August 15 election will therefore serve as a significant test of Adeleke’s claims about his administration’s record, particularly its handling of inherited debts, workers’ welfare and infrastructure.

For pensioners and public workers, the extent to which outstanding obligations have actually been cleared will remain an important measure of the administration’s performance.

Also read: ‘I’m a bulldozer’: Adeleke dismisses 34-governor challenge

For Adeleke, however, the message at the town hall was clear: his first term has, in his assessment, moved Osun beyond some of the financial burdens he inherited, while laying the groundwork for a more ambitious second term.