By Damilola Adeleke

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of nepotism over his alleged plan to appoint his nephew, Sefiu Adebowale Adewumi, as the next Rector of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke.

In a press statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, the APC condemned what it described as an “Edenisation agenda” in the administration of the state’s educational institutions. The party alleged that due process is being ignored to favor Adeleke’s family members.

According to reports, Adewumi, who currently serves as Deputy Rector of the institution, is being positioned to replace the outgoing Rector, Dr. Samson Adegoke, who is set to retire on May 20, 2025. The APC pointed out that Adewumi is not only the governor’s nephew but also a cousin to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and the elder brother of the governor’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Kazeem Akinleye.

The APC claimed that the process to appoint a new Rector had already begun before Governor Adeleke allegedly intervened. The institution’s Governing Council had reportedly advertised the vacancy in The Punch newspaper on February 3, 2025, following approval from the governor. However, the party alleged that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, M.A.K. Jimoh, who is also related to Adewumi, instructed the school’s Registrar, Mr. Popoola, to halt the recruitment process.

The opposition party further alleged that more qualified candidates, including former Deputy Rectors, Deans, and Directors, were being discouraged from applying, paving the way for Adewumi’s automatic appointment. This incident, the APC noted, mirrors a similar controversy at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, where an Ede-born Rector was allegedly imposed over a more qualified candidate, Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo.

The APC argued that Governor Adeleke’s actions violate the Edict governing the Osun State College of Technology. The law mandates that the Governing Council must recommend three qualified Chief Lecturers for the governor’s selection. The party claimed that this legal process is being sidelined to favor a single candidate. Additionally, the APC criticized the government’s justification for removing the immediate past Deputy Rector, Mrs. Kehinde Ijirona, an Esa-Oke native, on the grounds that her General Studies background violated National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) regulations. The party pointed out that the Ede-born Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, has a similar background, yet the rule was ignored in his case.

The APC accused Governor Adeleke of using Osun State’s educational institutions to favor his family members. It cited several instances, including the appointment of an Ede-born Rector at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, despite alleged lower qualifications, the appointment of Prof. Femi Asaolu as Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilesa, who, despite claiming Ilesa heritage, was allegedly born and raised in Ede, and the appointment of the University of Ilesa’s Bursar, who is also from Ede.

The opposition party insisted that the Osun State College of Technology belongs to all indigenes of Osun State and should not be treated as a family inheritance. It, therefore, called on Governor Adeleke to lift the ban on the recruitment process and ensure a fair, transparent selection where all qualified candidates can compete based on merit.