The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress and governorship aspirant in Osun State, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has felicitated with Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday on behalf of the Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru Campaign Team by Prof. Aderemi Ajala read in part: “We want to join the good people of Osun State in celebrating our governor and brother, His Excellency, Sen. Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, as he turns 65. For us, we harbor no ill will against him, especially as he celebrates his birthday. So, we congratulate him. The politics we are all involved in is for the betterment of our state.
“Being a knowledgeable people, and apart from the fact that our principal is a lawyer by profession who adheres to the tenets of democracy, we do not see politics as a do-or-die affair. When Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke defeated us in the last election, we respected the people’s wishes.
“While we salute him on his birthday, we would like to remind him that Sen. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, Ph.D., is contesting to unseat him because of the obvious lapses he has noticed in the current administration of our dear state. The governance of our dear state cannot continue to be entrusted to someone like Governor Adeleke. We need a governor with ideas, one who is surrounded by development-driven individuals. He cannot continue to spend a few days in Osun and the remaining days outside the state. We would have pardoned his frequent travels if he had capable hands to leave in charge of the administration, but unfortunately, he does not. We have, together with our principal, consulted widely, and that is why he has thrown his hat in the ring. He wants to salvage the plight of our people.
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“One does not need anyone to say it to know that Osun’s agricultural sector is almost dead. Nothing seems to be working under the current administration. No single company has been established or opened during this tenure. Tourism in Osun is at its lowest point.
“Our educational sector has nosedived. What do we expect when teachers are sacked and not replaced? The health sector is nothing to write home about. The money accrued to the state in the last 30 months has been spent recklessly. The state government should publicly disclose how the people’s funds have been spent.
“A good leader doesn’t take the people to where they want to go, but to where they ought to be. Our state is fast losing the gains of the past. So, while we wish him all the best life can offer, we would like to remind him that Sen. Basiru is contesting to unseat him. And we are confident that the outgoing governor would be proud of his successor when he takes over from him in 2026.”