Adeleke defends siting of Osun airport in hometown

Osun State's Governor Ademola Adeleke has defended the location of the proposed Ede International Airport in his hometown, emphasizing that his role as governor does not require him to ignore his own community. Speaking at a town hall meeting organized by Arise Television for candidates in the upcoming Osun governorship election, Adeleke addressed criticisms of the airport project regarding its cost and location.

He clarified that being a governor should not compel him to abandon his hometown, and provided examples of other Osun towns where his administration has undertaken projects, including Ila, Bongo, Ikire, and Ilesa. Regarding the airport itself, Adeleke explained that the state currently lacks a functional airport, with the existing facility being an airdrome used by the Nigerian Air Force for training purposes.

He stated that his administration sought expert advice in selecting a suitable site for the airport, ultimately settling on Ede due to its precedent in other states, such as Ogun State, where the airport was located on farmland in Abeokuta. The Ede airport project, initially estimated at N99.5 billion, has faced opposition from the All Progressives Congress and the Allied Peoples Movement, whose candidates have questioned the contractor's technical capabilities and the project's escalating cost, now estimated at over N130 billion.