A seemingly simple billboard in Iwo town has ignited a fierce political storm in Osun State, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Ademola Adeleke trade heated words over the controversial display featuring both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Adeleke.
The billboard, which bears the inscription “Continuity of Progress”, was allegedly erected by an anonymous group called Osun Leaders of Thought. It features side-by-side images of President Tinubu and Governor Adeleke—an unusual pairing that drew immediate condemnation from the Osun APC.
Describing the billboard as “fraudulent” and “a political heresy,” the APC accused Governor Adeleke of exploiting the President’s image to boost his own political standing.
APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, slammed the move as a calculated act of deceit.
“This is dirty politics taken to a new low,” Olabisi declared in a fiery statement. “There is no justifiable reason for this charade other than a desperate attempt to equate political opposites.
Governor Adeleke and his allies are trying to ride on the credibility of President Tinubu to sell an unsellable political product. We completely dissociate ourselves from this eyesore.”
But the Governor’s camp fired back just as strongly.
In a counter-statement, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed the APC’s outrage as “the cry of a party battling an identity crisis.” He suggested that the opposition’s fury is rooted in envy over the governor’s growing popularity and his administration’s recent diplomatic and economic breakthroughs.
“APC’s frustration is understandable—they’re watching from the sidelines as Governor Adeleke secures global partnerships, including cultural tourism deals with the British Museum and business links with the Nigeria-UK Chamber of Commerce,” Rasheed stated.
He claimed the governor’s performance has drawn rare praise from both federal institutions and non-governmental bodies, cutting across political affiliations and geographic boundaries.
“The groundswell of support for Adeleke is shaking the opposition to its core,” Rasheed added.
“They are disoriented, scrambling for narratives, and lashing out at non-governmental efforts like billboards—simply because they highlight the governor’s rising profile.”
As the war of words intensifies, the billboard remains in place—a quiet but potent symbol of a larger political battle brewing in Osun State.
Whether it was a clever PR stunt or an overreach, one thing is clear: in Osun’s heated political arena, even a billboard can become a battleground
