Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has appealed to voters to back his bid for another term, insisting that his administration has made significant progress in the state.
Adeleke made the appeal on Tuesday during the Arise Townhall Meeting, where he reviewed his political journey, achievements in office and plans for the state.
Reflecting on his emergence as governor after losing the 2018 election, Adeleke said he returned to education before making another attempt at the governorship in 2022.
“I was cheated in 2018. I went back to school and returned in 2022,” he said.
The governor maintained that his administration had focused on development across Osun, promising that state resources would continue to be channelled towards the welfare of residents.
“Osun State money will stay in Osun,” he said, while promising that “more goodies are on the way.”
Adeleke cited road construction among the projects carried out by his administration, saying some of the roads had remained abandoned for several years before his government took them up.
He rejected claims that the roads executed under his administration were of poor quality, arguing that qualified Nigerian professionals were responsible for the projects.
“It is a sin to say that the roads I constructed are substandard. I used professional engineers. I used Nigerian engineers. I supervised their work,” he said.
According to the governor, his government had “done so much” for Osun residents and had received recognition from the people for the projects delivered across the state.
He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of relying on propaganda to undermine his administration and its achievements.
Adeleke also addressed criticism of his frequent dancing at political and public events, saying the hobby did not interfere with his responsibilities as governor.
“Those that can’t dance are jealous of me. In my family, we have music in our blood. Nobody will stop me from dancing. I dance and work. There is time to dance and there is time to work. I will teach them how to work if they want,” he said.
The governor further alleged that the APC was deploying federal influence to intimidate voters ahead of the election, but expressed confidence that he would retain his position.
“Dancing is my hobby. In this election, I will be victorious,” Adeleke said.
On security, the Accord Party candidate said his academic background in criminology had provided him with the knowledge needed to confront security challenges in Osun.
“I am a security expert. I studied criminology. My aim is to protect my people, and I am doing that,” he said.
Adeleke disclosed that his administration had recruited approximately 1,500 personnel into the Amotekun security outfit, adding that the recruits received training from senior security officials.
He said the state had enjoyed relative peace until the election period drew closer, alleging that political actors had recently resorted to intimidation and violence.
“Osun has been peaceful until recent times, when the election approaches. They started intimidating and killing our people,” he alleged.
The governor said he had brought the security concerns to the attention of relevant authorities and consulted security experts on measures to safeguard residents before, during and after the election.