The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised concerns and demanded accountability from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding the distribution of rice sent to the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of Osun APC, Tajudeen Lawal, it was alleged that President Bola Tinubu had sent 1,250 bags of rice to CAN specifically for the celebrations. However, the party claimed that the rice, delivered by the state government, was misappropriated by those responsible for its distribution.

Lawal expressed disappointment and condemned the insensitivity and callousness exhibited by Governor Adeleke, accusing him of diverting the 1,250 bags of rice that were intended for the Osun CAN.

The party demanded that Governor Adeleke investigate the matter, return the rice to its rightful owners, and offer sincere apologies if the situation arose from a mix-up by government officials.

Lawal criticized the government for depriving religious leaders of their entitled gifts from the federal government and questioned the legitimacy of Governor Adeleke’s actions in interfering with the rice meant for the festive season.

The APC vowed to persist in seeking resolution for the stolen rice belonging to Osun CAN, just as they did with the previous incident involving 17,000 bags of rice and 8,000 bags of maize donated by the federal government, which were allegedly hoarded and diverted by Governor Adeleke to create negative perceptions of the APC-led federal government.

The party expressed concern over the specific targeting of CAN in Osun State, questioning why it was only in their state where the association was deprived of rice meant for the festivities.

In response, the Osun State Government, through Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment Kolapo Alimi, denied receiving any rice from the federal government for CAN. The government dismissed the allegations as baseless and lacking any foundation in truth.

The state government maintained that the federal government had not sent any rice palliatives to the state since the previous batch distributed last year, which was done through a committee comprising public associations and groups. The government highlighted that the CAN Chairman and others were part of the distribution committee, emphasizing that no consignment would reach the state without the committee’s knowledge and involvement.

Challenging the APC, the state government called for substantiation of the allegations made against them and urged the public to disregard such falsehoods, reaffirming their commitment to accountability and transparency in state governance.