Ademola Adeleke, Osun State governor-elect says he would have lost Saturday’s governorship election to the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola if President Muhammadu Buhari had not signed the amended Electoral Act 2022 into law.
Adeleke, candidate of the PDP who spoke on Channels TV, praised Muhammadu Buhari, the country’s president for reaching out to him after his victory.
Adeleke who expressed joy in his victory over Oyetola, candidate of the APC, noted that the people of Osun had been yearning to recover their stolen mandate.
“I feel good on my victory because the people of Osun State have been yearning for their stolen mandate. To be the second Adeleke that would govern Osun is not common. It is only God that can do that. God smiled on me and our family. Also, when I saw President Buhari’s congratulatory message, I said this is good for our country,” he said.
“I am planning to visit him when I receive my certificate of return. Most of the time, the opposition don’t congratulate one another. So, Buhari is trying to leave a legacy. If he had not signed the Electoral Act, there would have been room for rigging because they did that to me in 2018 but with the Electoral Act now the result was just flowing in without hindrance.”
Asked if Governor Oyetola had reached out to him, he said: “I am still waiting to hear from him. A lot of people offended me but I am not God, my hands are wide open to receive everybody to move Osun State forward.
“I campaigned so hard that the economy is so bad, the roads are bad, the state capital needs to be given a facelift, and that I can do better.”
Asked if he knew that he was going to win with the margin that he won, Adeleke, who wailed while dedicating his victory to his late elder brother and 1992-1993 governor of Osun, said: “I was even expecting more than what I got. I studied Osun people and I know what they want. From the time I have been contesting since 2017 I had a landslide victory.”
Adeleke accused the incumbent governor of taking state’s money to Lagos.
He said, “I said it before that paying salary is not an achievement; if people work, you must pay them. What you bring to the table to improve the economy, the IGR is what you can call achievements. When I was debating with Governor Oyetola, the outgoing governor, I said paying salary is not an achievement; have you improved the economy?
“What I will do is that I will work with pensioners, retirees; sit together with them and have a meeting. Okay this is the money they are owing you and everything. Why they cannot pay you is that a lot of our money is going outside; what I mean is that a lot of our money is taken to Lagos or somewhere. So I will block those leakages.”
Adeleke who was visibly emotional added that his brother, Isiaka Adeleke, died in the course of freeing the people of Osun State from slavery.
