Why I backed APC’s Oyebamiji over Adeleke — Oyinlola

Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, detailed his rationale for endorsing Bola Oyebamiji over Governor Ademola Adeleke during the recent election in an interview on Politics Today. Oyinlola maintained his endorsement of Oyebamiji, pointing to the internal turmoil within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level, which he believed would ultimately impact the state.

He further criticized Adeleke's sudden departure from the PDP and subsequent affiliation with the Accord Party, emphasizing the lack of consultation and a scheduled stakeholder meeting before the move. Oyinlola highlighted the uneven distribution of government projects under Adeleke's administration, with approximately 260.5 billion Naira of the 362 billion Naira spent in Ede, the governor's hometown, questioning its fairness and consistency with the founding fathers' vision of equitable development.

Additionally, Oyinlola debunked Adeleke's claim of personally providing him a car, stating it was a statutory entitlement under a law enacted by the Osun State House of Assembly, and criticized the governor's dishonesty. The former governor also expressed concerns over the weakening of the PDP's organizational structure in Osun State, noting the lack of regular meetings at the party headquarters in Osogbo.

Despite these grievances, Oyinlola affirmed that his support for Oyebamiji was consistent with his political principles, recalling his previous endorsement of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola in a prior election due to similar party issues.