Presidency Rejects Aregbesola’s Resignation Call Citing Alleged Failure to Secure Prisons and Manage State Finances

Bayo Onanuga slams Rauf Aregbesola’s record, citing Osun salary delays and federal prison escapes as reasons he cannot criticize President Tinubu’s reforms.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 5:21 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Leadership

A Confrontational Rebuttal to Resignation Demands

The Presidency issued a scathing response on Tuesday to recent comments made by the former Governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, asserted that Aregbesola’s public record effectively disqualifies him from criticizing the current administration. The rebuttal followed a speech at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Convention in Abuja, where the former minister labeled the "Renewed Hope Agenda" a scam and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step down due to economic and security concerns.

Scrutinizing the Osun State Gubernatorial Legacy

The federal government’s defense centered heavily on an audit of Aregbesola’s eight year tenure as governor, which Onanuga characterized as a period of significant hardship for civil servants. The Presidency alleged that under Aregbesola’s leadership, Osun State became synonymous with financial instability, often paying only 20 to 30 percent of statutory salaries. According to the presidential aide, this fiscal management left a trail of abandoned projects and unpaid pensions, creating a situation that subsequent administrations are still struggling to rectify years later.

Security Lapses and the Kuje Prison Escape

In a transition to Aregbesola’s federal service, the Presidency highlighted what it described as a catastrophic failure to secure the nation’s correctional facilities. Onanuga noted that the former minister’s term witnessed 15 major attacks on prisons, including the high profile escape from the Kuje facility in Abuja. With over 4,000 inmates reportedly escaping during these breaches, the administration questioned the credibility of Aregbesola’s current lectures on national insecurity, arguing that he failed to uphold his primary duties between 2019 and 2023.