Governor Ademola Adeleke has come under fire from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Osun State chapter for awarding a ₦678 million contract to rebuild the Sango-Timi Shrine and Grove at Timi’s Palace in Ede.
The APC characterized the initiative as an act of favoritism and a misguided priority in a news release signed by Kola Olabisi, the party’s director of media and information, on Thursday.
Following criticism of the contentious Ede shrine deal, the party claimed that the state administration only included other ancient sites in its tourism development strategy.
The APC argued that the action was a last-minute attempt to mislead the state’s citizens.
“Why did the governor consider designating other historical tourism attractions throughout the state to be developed in phases after his award of the ₦678 million contract for the development of the Sango Shrine in his town was widely condemned?
The party went on to say, “The ploy has failed because it is a flagrant insult to the sensibilities of the people of this state.”
The opposing party also contended that, in comparison to other urgent governmental demands, the initiative provided no discernible economic advantage.
Olabisi stated, “It is concerning that the amount allotted to this shrine project is nearly twice the ₦376 million that the government released as an education subsidy in the first half of the year.”
The statement also called attention to unfulfilled promises regarding the welfare of workers, pointing out that by the second quarter, none of the ₦6 billion allocated for the payment of gratuity arrears in 2025 had been paid.
Only ₦500 million, or 11.1% of the ₦4.5 billion budgeted, has been paid out for gratuity payments, while ₦998 million, or 14.3% of ₦7 billion, has been made available for the Contributory Pension Scheme, according to the APC.
In 2025 alone, seven road projects worth over ₦70 billion were awarded for dualization in Ede, while projects in other cities like Ife, Osogbo, and Ilesa remained unfinished, the party said, accusing Governor Adeleke of focusing development in his hometown of Ede.
It further stated that, about two years after Adeleke made her initial pledge to build five flyovers within a year, two had not yet started, and three were still unfinished.
The APC also questioned why, if the goal was to enhance heritage and increase tourism throughout Osun State, Ede was given consideration for the first phase of cultural and tourism development.
Olawale Rasheed, the state governor’s spokesperson, announced on Wednesday that Ademola Adeleke has given his approval for the improvement of tourist attractions in the towns of Osogbo, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, and Ede.
In addition, Governor Adeleke revealed that the improvements aligned with the administration’s plan to expand the tourism and creative industries in order to obtain UNESCO accreditation.
Additionally, he stated that the goal is to increase the number of visitors to the state’s cultural attractions by more than 60% during the following year.
