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Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke has accused Minister Adegboyega Oyetola of threatening the credibility of the August 15 governorship election.
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The allegation followed Oyetola’s warning that the APC would reclaim the governorship seat from Adeleke.
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Adeleke interpreted Oyetola’s remarks as an indication of plans to manipulate the election and called for a free and fair poll.
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The exchange comes as Adeleke and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji intensify their campaigns ahead of Saturday’s election.
August 10, (THEWILL) — Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has accused Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola of threatening to manipulate Saturday’s governorship election, following remarks by the former governor that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would reclaim the state.
Adeleke’s allegation was contained in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, in Osogbo on Sunday, after Oyetola urged the governor to prepare for defeat in the August 15 poll.
Oyetola, who lost his re-election bid to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election, made the remarks while addressing APC stakeholders and supporters in Osun. He was responding to Adeleke’s earlier allegations that APC members and leaders of the Accord Party were being intimidated ahead of the election.
Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola said Adeleke’s complaints indicated that the governor was aware he was losing support in the state. He also dismissed Adeleke’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for another term in 2027 as insufficient to secure his administration’s survival.
“They realised that they are already losing out. Then they claimed to have endorsed us. He almost cried. Endorsement cannot retain this seat for you. We are taking it over,” Oyetola said.
He added, “If you like, make 10 endorsements, we will collect this one from you.”
Adeleke interpreted the comments as an indication that the APC was preparing to manipulate the election and called on democracy advocates and relevant authorities to pay attention to the development.
Adeleke Vows to Resist Election Manipulation
The governor also criticised Oyetola’s reference to his endorsement of Tinubu, arguing that the decision reflected his political strength and ability to mobilise support for the President in the 2027 election.
“Oyetola’s anti-people, anti-democracy activities are tarnishing the image of Mr President and deepening the unpopularity of Osun APC among voters and residents,” Adeleke said.
He further alleged that the minister’s remarks amounted to an attempt to deny voters their democratic rights, while accusing APC supporters of previous acts of violence against members of the Accord Party.
Adeleke also maintained that he remained confident of securing re-election, saying the electorate would determine the outcome of Saturday’s poll.
“Our people rejected him in 2022, and they will reject his surrogate candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, next Saturday,” he said.
The August 15 election is expected to pit Adeleke, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, against Oyebamiji of the APC, among other candidates.
Oyetola’s remarks and Adeleke’s subsequent response have added to the political tensions surrounding the election, with both camps presenting competing claims about their prospects ahead of the poll.
Segun Adeyemi serves as the Associate Editor of THEWILL Newspaper, leveraging more than ten years of editorial expertise and a proven track record in mainstream journalism.
