Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has urged voters to support his re-election bid, saying his administration has delivered significant development across the state.
Adeleke, who spoke during the Arise Townhall Meeting on Tuesday, said his return to power in 2022 followed his decision to return to school after what he described as being cheated in the 2018 governorship election.
“I was cheated in 2018. I went back to school and returned in 2022,” he said.
The governor said his administration had prioritised development across the state, assuring residents that government funds would be used for their benefit.
“Osun State money will stay in Osun,” he said, while promising that “more goodies are on the way.”
Adeleke also highlighted road construction projects undertaken by his administration, saying some of the roads had been abandoned for years before his intervention.
He dismissed allegations that roads constructed by his administration were substandard, saying qualified Nigerian engineers were engaged to execute the projects.
“It is a sin to say that the roads I constructed are substandard. I used professional engineers. I used Nigerian engineers. I supervised their work,” he said.
According to him, his administration had “done so much” for the people of the state, adding that residents had acknowledged the impact of the projects.
The governor accused the All Progressives Congress of using propaganda to discredit his administration.
Adeleke also defended his penchant for dancing at public events, which has become one of the defining features of his political appearances, saying it had no bearing on his capacity to govern.
“Those that can’t dance are jealous of me. In my family, we have music in our blood. Nobody will stop me from dancing. I dance and work. There is time to dance and there is time to work. I will teach them how to work if they want,” he said.
He further alleged that the APC was using federal might to intimidate voters ahead of the election, but expressed confidence in his chances of victory.
“Dancing is my hobby. In this election, I will be victorious,” Adeleke said.
On security, the Accord Party candidate said his background in criminology had equipped him with knowledge to tackle security challenges in the state.
“I am a security expert. I studied criminology. My aim is to protect my people, and I am doing that,” he said.
Adeleke said his administration had recruited about 1,500 Amotekun personnel, adding that the recruits underwent training from senior security officers.
He said Osun had remained relatively peaceful until the approach of the election, alleging that some individuals had resorted to intimidation and violence.
“Osun has been peaceful until recent times, when the election approaches. They started intimidating and killing our people,” he alleged.
The governor said he had raised the security concerns with relevant authorities and held meetings with security experts on measures to protect residents before, during and after the election.