When Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, began his series of warm, highly-publicized visits to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some called it mere protocol. But in Nigerian politics, optics are never accidental. Every handshake is a message.
Adeleke wasnโt just meeting the President he was quietly cornering his opponents, exposing the fault lines within the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Today, those fault lines look more like open fractures, laid bare by unruly behavior both online and offline.
A Governor Playing Federal Politics, Not Local Games
Adelekeโs overtures to Tinubu have painted him not as a hyper-partisan governor, but as a bridge-builder someone with the access and clout to navigate both state governance and national politics. That image plays well in Abuja and is even more effective back home, where voters appreciate visible influence and presidential access.
While the governor was shaking hands in Bourdillon, the APC was shaking apart in Osogbo.
APCโs Digital Machinery: From Discipline to Disorder
The once-coordinated, highly efficient โdata boysโ of the APCโthose digitally fluent defenders who shaped online narratives have now become symbols of the partyโs decay. Instead of offering strategic pushback or issue-based critique, theyโve turned the political conversation into a digital street brawl.
Their recent behavior on social media ranging from personal insults, misinformation, and coordinated trolling has alienated moderate voters and exposed a critical leadership vacuum. Where once there was message discipline and agenda control, now there is chaos. Different factions push conflicting narratives, insult each other in comment threads, and drag the partyโs name through mud in full public view.
Worse, this breakdown of digital decorum mirrors a more dangerous collapse of offline leadership.
Unruly Leaders, Divided Ranks
Offline, the situation is equally embarrassing. APC chieftains in Osun now openly trade barbs in press conferences, grant contradictory interviews, and promote factionalism rather than party unity. What used to be whispered infighting has now spilled into public discourse, exposing deep-rooted rivalries that the party has failed to resolve since its 2022 electoral defeat.
The rift between former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola still casts a long shadow. Rather than close ranks, party leaders behave like parallel governments some aligning with Abuja, others clinging to old grudges, none offering a coherent vision for the future.
This leadership failure has left a dangerous vacuumโone Adeleke has skillfully filled.
Adeleke: Calm, Consistent, and Calculated
Adelekeโs approach stands in stark contrast. Heโs not tweeting insults. Heโs not seen fighting old battles. Instead, he continues to appear with the President, offer policy statements, and focus on state-level infrastructure and economic development.
He doesn’t need to shout because his opponents are doing enough of that on their own.
In fact, his silence in the face of APCโs chaos is one of his sharpest tools. While opposition figures rage, he remains composed. The difference is stark and voters notice.
2026: A Referendum on Maturity
With another gubernatorial election approaching in 2026, the stakes are growing. If APC continues to alienate moderate voters through unruly social media operatives and undisciplined leadership, it risks becoming unelectable not because Adeleke is perfect, but because the alternative seems unserious, chaotic, and unready for power.
Political parties are not just judged by who leads them but by how they behave. And right now, the Osun APC appears stuck in a crisis of conduct.
Conclusion: Collapse by Chaos
Senator Adelekeโs visits to President Tinubu were more than symbolic they were strategic. They exposed not only the governorโs reach but the APCโs retreat. What was once a disciplined, data-driven political machine has become a free-for-all where data boys insult voters, and leaders act without restraint.
The people of Osun expected opposition. What they got instead was disunity, digital recklessness, and outdated grudges.
And while the APC fights itself in public, Adeleke continues to lead dancing, yes, but also dominating. And unless something changes fast, he may face no real opposition at all come 2026.
Oluwatosin Babatunde is a Journalist ,political analyst and public affairs commentator based in Ilorin Kwara state
