Adeleke denies spending N3.1b on foreign trips in six months

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Monday dismissed claims that N3.1 billion was spent on foreign trips between January and June 2025, labeling the reports as false and misleading.

He emphasized his administration’s dedication to transparency and accountability in the handling of state funds, clarifying that the figures being circulated actually represent the near full-year training budget for over 100 government agencies.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, it was revealed that Governor Adeleke often covers his travel expenses using his family’s private jet, citing his recent trip to the United States as an example, in a bid to cut down on the state’s travel costs.

The statement also explained that many government agencies scheduled their local and international training programs in the first half of the year to avoid clashes with the expected start of pre-2026 political activities. It further described the allegations of the governor’s international travel and training being state-funded as misleading and politically motivated.

Olawale further disclosed that the amount quoted for international travels and trainings for the first two quarters of 2025 was the expenditure of the entire officials of the state government, including commissioners, heads of agencies, management staff of the state-owned tertiary institutions, permanent secretaries and directors of over 100 parastatals, which covers their transportation, accommodation, feeding and so on.

In another development, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has petitioned Western embassies and global human rights organisations, accusing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of disobeying a court order regarding local council leadership in the state.

In a statement yesterday, signed by the Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, the party alleged that Fagbemi and Oyetola were involved in a plot to undermine a Court of Appeal judgment recognising PDP-elected chairmen and councillors.

The PDP, which claimed that local council allocations meant for the state had been withheld for five consecutive months, described the move as illegal and politically motivated.

The party, therefore, called for international punitive measures, including a visa ban, to compel adherence to constitutional provisions and judicial rulings.

“We seek a visa ban and other sundry punitive actions to force these federal officials to comply with the rule of law. This is a democracy, and no individual should be allowed to breach the constitution and due process,” Bisi added.

The statement, however, called on global bodies to investigate alleged anti-democratic practices and document democratic threats in the state ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial election and the 2027 general elections.

The PDP pledged to continue its protest to international organisations, including Transparency International, Amnesty International, the International Crisis Group, and the European Union.