Osun ranks 32nd in fiscal performance as opposition criticises Adeleke administration

The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has expressed significant concern over Osun State’s placement in the 2026 fiscal performance assessment released by BudgIT. The civic technology organisation ranked the state 32nd out of 35 states evaluated in Nigeria. In a statement issued on Thursday in Osogbo, the Osun State chairman of the DLA, Tosin Odeyemi, described the result as worrisome and an indictment of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration. Odeyemi characterised the ranking as shameful, arguing that it highlights the government's inability to establish a viable local economy.

According to the BudgIT report, Lagos, Enugu, and Bayelsa emerged as the top-performing states in the country. Conversely, Cross River State ranked last among the 35 states included in the assessment. The DLA statement noted that the ranking confirms long-standing criticisms that the current administration lacks a clear economic blueprint for the state. Odeyemi stated that the poor performance indicates a failure to translate increased federal allocations into tangible economic growth, fiscal discipline, or sustainable development for residents.

Background

The BudgIT assessment evaluates state governments based on their fiscal performance and management of resources. The DLA highlighted a disparity in the results, pointing out that states such as Kebbi, Jigawa, and Katsina, which are managing their resources prudently, ranked in the top 10. In contrast, Osun, which possesses significant potential, was placed near the bottom of the list. The opposition party argued that the data shows Osun is being run primarily on Federal Allocation Account Credits (FAAC) without sufficient effort to grow Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Odeyemi accused the governor of relying on funds from Abuja to meet salary obligations while other state leaders focus on building independent economic bases. The DLA further noted that states with smaller federal allocations and fewer industrial bases have outperformed Osun, which the party attributed to a lack of fiscal discipline and the presence of resource leakages.

Why it matters

The DLA urged the governor to shift focus away from what it termed frivolities and instead concentrate on revamping the state’s economy, blocking financial leakages, and investing in productive sectors. The political group urged Osun residents to scrutinize the administration's handling of public funds, arguing that the BudgIT findings ought to alert the government to its performance issues. They warned that without corrective action, the state could slide into a total fiscal emergency. The criticism centres on the perception that the government is engaged in propaganda regarding spending while the underlying economic situation remains unstable. The DLA’s statement emphasised that the ranking is not surprising to them, as it aligns with their previous assertions about the absence of a coherent economic strategy under the current leadership.

What happens next

Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, were unsuccessful as of the time of reporting, with calls and messages going unanswered. However, Olalekan Badmus, the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, contributed to discussions on the ranking in a post on a Facebook page named Adedayo Oderinu. Badmus highlighted the failure to disburse funds to local government areas, positing that this omission likely affected the evaluation. The DLA has called for immediate attention to these issues, while the administration has yet to provide a formal public response to the specific criticisms regarding the 32nd-place ranking.