Osun State Governor and Accord Party candidate in Saturday’s governorship election, Ademola Adeleke, says he is confident of securing re-election based on his administration’s performance rather than through vote-buying.
Adeleke stated this during the Arise Townhall Meeting and in posts on his verified X account on Tuesday, where he addressed the state’s finances, his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and criticism of his dancing.
On allegations of vote-buying, the governor said his administration had limited financial resources, particularly because local government allocations had allegedly been withheld for nearly two years.
He said, “As an administration, we do not have the resources to engage in vote buying. We have been using state resources to pay local government workers since our local government allocation was withheld almost two years ago.”
Adeleke said he was relying on the support of voters who had assessed his administration’s performance.
“I do not need to buy votes to win election. I have been giving workers palliative since 2023. I believe in my work to speak for me,” he said.
Explaining his decision to leave the PDP for the Accord Party, the governor said internal problems within his former party made the move necessary.
He said, “I left the PDP to join Accord because of the crisis in the PDP then. I love PDP so much, and it was difficult to leave.”
According to him, he would have contested the election as an independent candidate if Nigerian electoral laws permitted such a move.
Adeleke also defended his well-known dancing style, dismissing suggestions that his public displays of celebration affected his responsibilities as governor.
He said dancing was part of his family’s culture and did not prevent him from carrying out his duties.
“I dance because in my family, we are jolly good fellows. As I am dancing, I am working. There is time for everything; there is time to dance, and there is time to work,” Adeleke said.
He added, “Dancing does not stop me from working. I have delivered across all sectors.”
The governor also maintained that the support of some governors and the Federal Government for the All Progressives Congress candidate would not determine the outcome of Saturday’s election.
Adeleke expressed confidence that his record in office and the choice of Osun voters would be the major factors in the poll.
