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Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has accused Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of threatening to manipulate the August 15 governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adeleke made the allegation in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Sunday, in response to comments made by Oyetola while addressing APC stakeholders and supporters in the state.
Oyetola, a former governor of Osun who lost his re-election bid to Adeleke in 2022, had urged the incumbent to prepare for defeat, saying his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu would not save his administration.
Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola said the APC would reclaim the governorship seat, adding that Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu would not determine the outcome of the election.
“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.”
Reacting, Adeleke described the statement as an “open threat” to the conduct of a free and fair election and urged democracy advocates to take note of the minister’s comments.
The governor also accused the APC of planning to manipulate the poll because, according to him, the party had lost the support of Osun voters.
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Adeleke said his endorsement of Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election demonstrated his political strength and ability to mobilise votes for the President in Osun.
He further accused Oyetola of undermining Tinubu’s image through his activities in the state.
“A serving minister of the Republic had made an open threat against a free and fair election,” Adeleke said.
He maintained that Osun residents would resist any attempt to undermine their right to freely choose their leaders.
“The bad news for the minister is that Osun people are determined to resist his sadistic agenda,” the governor said.
Adeleke also expressed confidence in his re-election bid, saying voters would reject the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in Saturday’s election.
The governor said his administration would respect the choice of voters and urged stakeholders to ensure the poll is conducted transparently and peacefully.
