Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of making what he described as an open threat to rig the August 15 governorship election in the state.
Adeleke made the allegation in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, and issued in Osogbo on Sunday.
The governor was reacting to comments made by Oyetola while addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders and supporters in Osun State on Saturday.
Oyetola, a former governor of the state who lost his re-election bid to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election, had urged the incumbent governor to prepare for defeat in Saturday’s poll.
The minister also dismissed the significance of Adeleke’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the endorsement would not stop the APC from reclaiming the Osun governorship seat.
Oyetola was responding to allegations by Adeleke that APC members and leaders of the Accord Party were being intimidated ahead of the election.
Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola said the governor’s complaints showed that he had realised he was losing his grip on the state.
“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 remarks as an “open threat” to rig the governorship election and called on democracy advocates to take note of the minister’s comments.
The governor also urged relevant authorities to ensure that the election was conducted freely and fairly.
Adeleke interpreted Oyetola’s Yoruba statement, “A maa gba lowo e,” as meaning “we will snatch it from him”, arguing that the phrase amounted to a threat to undermine the electoral process.
The governor said his endorsement of President Tinubu demonstrated his electoral strength and capacity to deliver Osun votes to the President in the 2027 presidential election.
Adeleke Accuses Oyetola of Hurting APC
Adeleke further alleged that Oyetola’s activities were damaging the image of the President and weakening the APC’s standing among residents of Osun State.
“Oyetola’s anti-people, anti-democracy activities are tarnishing the image of Mr President and deepening the unpopularity of Osun APC among voters and residents,” Adeleke said.
He added that the comments amounted to a threat against the democratic process.
“A serving minister of the Republic had made an open threat against a free and fair election. The minister has personally confirmed all previous reports that Osun APC has lost the electoral confidence of the people and is therefore focused only on rigging next Saturday,” the governor said.
The accusations come as political tensions rise ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with Adeleke seeking another term and the APC campaigning to regain control of the state. Recent reports have also shown increased concern among political actors over the conduct and security of the poll. (dailypost.ng)
