Adeleke Warns Oyetola: Osun People Will Resist Any Attempt to Rig August 15 Election

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has warned former Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, against any alleged attempt to manipulate the August 15 governorship election, saying the people of the state would resist any move capable of undermining the democratic process.

Adeleke’s warning followed a statement reportedly made by Oyetola on Saturday while reacting to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s endorsement by the governor. Oyetola was quoted as saying “A maa gba lowo e,” which translates to “we will snatch it from him.”

In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Sunday, Adeleke described the remark as an alleged open threat to the conduct of a free and fair election in the state.

The governor urged national and international democracy organisations to pay close attention to developments ahead of the election, alleging that some political actors were seeking to undermine the electoral rights of Osun residents.

Adeleke also dismissed the suggestion that his endorsement of President Tinubu was an indication of political weakness, arguing instead that it demonstrated his confidence in his ability to mobilise substantial support for the President in Osun State.

According to him, his administration’s decision to support Tinubu was based on what he described as political strength and the confidence of the electorate.

The governor further accused Oyetola of engaging in activities that, he claimed, were damaging the image of the President and contributing to the growing unpopularity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Adeleke also alleged that Oyetola had been coordinating what he described as police harassment of members and supporters of the Accord Party, while accusing some elements within the police command of working with political thugs.

“The minister has made mockery of innocent Accord members who were killed and maimed by APC thugs in cold blood in the last two months. He has told the world that he is pushing to deny the people their rights to vote and be voted for,” Adeleke said.

The governor maintained that the alleged statement by Oyetola had reinforced his belief that the APC had lost the confidence of Osun voters and was now relying on other means to secure victory.

“The bad news for the minister is that Osun people are determined to resist his sadistic agenda. Our people rejected him in 2022 and they will reject his surrogate candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, next Saturday,” he said.

Adeleke expressed confidence in his re-election bid, attributing his expected victory to what he described as the support of the people.

“As for us, we are winning this election by the grace of God and mass support of the people. We are not going to snatch the democratic rights of the people as Mr Oyetola had threatened. We will be re-elected by the choice of the voters,” the governor added.

The statement was signed by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Spokesperson to the Osun State Governor.

The August 15 governorship election has continued to generate intense political activity in Osun, with rival political camps trading allegations and counter-allegations as parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the poll.