| Keep Meeting Osun People’s Needs, Obasanjo Tells Adeleke | UK hails citizen participation, decries vote buying
By JAMES KWEN, Innocent Odoh, Samason Elijah, Abuja; JOSHUA DADA, Osogbo
Business mogul and elder brother of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Dr Adedeji Adeleke, has alleged that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, did everything possible to prevent his younger brother from winning the August 15 governorship election.
Adedeji, father of music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and proprietor of Adeleke University, Ede, made the allegation on Sunday evening at a gathering in Ede to celebrate the governor’s re-election.
Dr Adeleke’s comments comes after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of the election with 511,067 votes, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Speaking at the celebration, Adedeji said he had prayed and fasted for divine intervention because of what he described as intense hostility towards his brother.
“The outcome of the election is a result of answered prayers. God has done wonderfully well for us. God has defended us from those that are stronger than us and those that hated us with so much passion that they don’t care what happens to us, whether people died or lived, just because they want to remove Ademola Adeleke as governor of Osun.
“But God has other plans. Now they know that there is only one God, and no man is God. Shout hallelujah to that. Every day, every week, I use two days to fast in a week for him, and I ask God to help him. The hostility was too much. Oyetola visited everything…”
He urged supporters to continue praying for the governor.
Calls and messages sent to Oyetola seeking his response to the allegation were not answered as of press time.
Keep Meeting Osun People’s Needs, Obasanjo Tells Adeleke
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday night paid a surprise congratulatory visit to Adeleke at his country home in Ede.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said Obasanjo, accompanied by Otunba Fasawe, was received by Adeleke with dancing and songs of praise.
Obasanjo prayed for the governor and urged him to sustain good governance and deliver the dividends of democracy.
“Continue to deliver good governance. Continue to meet the needs of your people,” he charged.
Adeleke thanked the former president and pledged to remain committed to the people of Osun.
“Baba, I thank you for this surprise visit. I promise never to disappoint God, the people of Osun and all lovers of democracy who made our victory possible,” he said.
The deputy governor, Prince Kola Adewusi, accompanied Adeleke in receiving Obasanjo.
