Endorsing Tinubu won’t save Adeleke from defeat in Osun, says Oyetola
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, has told Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to prepare for defeat in the August 15 governorship election.
Oyetola said Adeleke’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu would not prevent the All Progressives Congress from reclaiming the governorship seat.
The former Osun governor spoke on Saturday while addressing APC stakeholders and supporters in the state.
He was responding to allegations by Adeleke that APC members and Accord Party leaders were being intimidated ahead of the election.
Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola said Adeleke’s complaints showed that the governor was already losing his grip on the state.
He said, “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.
“If you like, make 10 endorsements, we will collect this one from you.”
Oyetola also dismissed Adeleke’s repeated references to him, saying he had deliberately avoided engaging the governor in public exchanges.
He said, “If he sleeps and has nightmares, he will say he saw me. If his wife gave him food late, he would say I’m responsible for that.
“My name is so sweet in his mouth. Meanwhile, we are not even interested in his case. If we get interested in his case, he will feel it.”
Adeleke is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party and will face the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and other contenders in the poll.
The election is largely viewed as a close contest between Adeleke and Oyebamiji, with both camps intensifying their campaigns ahead of the poll.
The political atmosphere in Osun has remained tense, with the rival camps trading allegations of violence, intimidation and arrests of their supporters.
Adeleke and his campaign team have accused the Oyetola-led APC of intimidating Accord Party members following reported arrests and raids on the homes of some party leaders and senior government officials.
The APC has rejected the allegations and continued to campaign on its promise to reclaim Osun after losing the state to Adeleke in 2022.
Oyetola governed Osun from 2018 to 2022 before losing his re-election bid to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election.
