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Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, has warned Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, that his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu will not prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from reclaiming the state in Saturday’s governorship election.
Oyetola, who spoke on Saturday while addressing APC stakeholders and supporters in Osun, also urged Adeleke to prepare for defeat, saying the governor’s recent complaints about alleged intimidation of opposition members showed that he was already losing confidence in his chances.
The former Osun governor, who lost his re-election bid to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election, was responding to allegations that APC members and leaders of the Accord Party were being intimidated ahead of the poll.
Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola dismissed Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu, insisting that it would not help him retain the governorship seat.
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.”
Oyetola also dismissed Adeleke’s repeated references to him, saying he had deliberately refrained from engaging the governor in public exchanges.
“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,” he said.
The minister added, “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 faces APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and other contenders in Saturday’s election.
The contest has largely been framed as a close battle between Adeleke and Oyebamiji, with both camps intensifying their campaigns ahead of the poll.
The election atmosphere has also been tense, with the rival camps exchanging 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, including through reported arrests and raids on the residences of some party leaders and senior government officials.
The APC has rejected the allegations and maintained its campaign to return to power in Osun after losing the state to Adeleke in 2022.
Oyetola governed Osun from 2018 to 2022 before losing his re-election bid to Adeleke ina closely contested election.
