Osun: I don’t need vote-buying to win — Adeleke

Ademola Adeleke, the incumbent Governor of Osun State and a candidate for the Accord Party in the upcoming governorship election, is confident that his governance record will lead to his re-election. During the Arise Townhall Meeting, Adeleke addressed several issues, including state finances, his political realignment, and his playful image.

He revealed that the state government has struggled with financial constraints due to withheld federal allocations at the local government level for nearly two years. Despite these challenges, Adeleke firmly stated that he does not plan to engage in vote-buying to secure his re-election. Instead, he stated that his administration has been using state resources to pay local government workers since their federal allocation was withheld.

When discussing his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest under the Accord Party, Adeleke admitted that the decision was difficult due to internal strife within his former party. He stated that he left the PDP and joined the Accord Party because of the crisis in PDP and that he loved the PDP so much that he would have run as an independent candidate in this election if it were allowed in Nigeria.

Adeleke, known for his lively public appearances, dismissed critics who suggested that his joyful demeanor distracts from governance. He explained that his celebratory style is rooted in family tradition and that he dances while working. He also addressed concerns of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) deploying federal support or state governors to influence the election outcome, describing himself as a "bulldozer" stating that the presence of governors supporting the APC candidate would not determine the election outcome.