Osun election: APC underestimated me — Adeleke

…pledges continued support for Tinubu, seeks intervention over withheld funds

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has attributed his victory in the governorship election to his administration’s performance, grassroots accessibility and the love of the people, saying the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) underestimated him because of his public image and dancing skills.

Adeleke, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, said his victory was particularly satisfying because many people initially dismissed him as unserious and incapable of effective governance.

“At first, a lot of people underestimated me because of my dancing skills. A lot of people believed I wasn’t a serious person; that I would just go there, dance and have fun.

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“But for me, I like people to underrate me. When you underrate me, I hit you from the back,” the governor said.

According to him, his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, workers’ welfare and road development ultimately changed the perception of voters and earned him a second term.

“So that was what really happened. Before they knew what was going on, what the APC could not achieve in Osun in 12 years, I had already achieved in three and a half years,” he said.

Adeleke said his administration came into office with a clear blueprint and a competent team, which enabled it to deliver projects across the state.

“Immediately we came in, we had a blueprint and I had a very fantastic team, so we got to work. Before they could know what was going on, we had done infrastructure, connectivity of roads and health,” he said.

The governor also cited his administration’s relationship with organised labour as one of the factors that endeared him to workers in the state.

He said Osun had not experienced a strike under his administration, stressing that he allowed labour unions to negotiate directly with the government on issues affecting workers.

“For the first time in history, there has never been a strike for one day. Even when the minimum wage issue came, I told them: ‘Go and negotiate. Go and do what you have to do. Bring it to me and I will sign it.’

“So they are very happy. I kept wondering whether they would say thank you by giving me another chance for the second time. And they spoke loud and clear,” Adeleke said.

The governor said his personal relationship with the people, accessibility and grassroots connection also played a major role in his victory.

“I think it’s my person. It’s my person. They love my personality. I give them joy. I’m very accessible. I’m grassroots, so I’m free with everybody. I love my people, and they love me back. And, of course, performance. All of these joined together to make it great,” he said.

A visibly emotional Adeleke said the scale of public support had overwhelmed him, adding that he was determined not to disappoint the people who gave him another mandate.

“Sometimes I shed tears. I’m overwhelmed. I’m overwhelmed, and this is so much organic.

“And I said, ‘Wow!’ So that is why I promised myself, between man and God, that I will not disappoint them. So I worked so hard. I worked so hard,” he said.

Adeleke also spoke warmly about his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, pledging to continue supporting the President while expressing his readiness to engage him on issues affecting Osun State.

The governor described Tinubu as a father figure and revealed that the President called him after the election to congratulate him.

“He called me and, well, I see him as a father. So he called me and said, ‘Mr Governor, what’s going on? How is the election going?’

“I said, ‘Your son is cruising to victory. I’ve won,’ and all that,” Adeleke recalled.

According to him, Tinubu congratulated him and said democracy was prevailing.

Adeleke said he appreciated the President for the gesture and would continue to support him, while also seeking his intervention on issues affecting the state.

He specifically said he would raise the issue of funds he claimed had been withheld from local governments in the state for almost two years, saying the situation had constrained his administration’s ability to complete some projects.

“When I see Mr President, I will talk to him about it. I will tell him, ‘Listen, the election is over, and I think we should do that,’ because it’s not easy,” he said.

He explained that the financial constraints had affected the state’s ability to execute projects despite an improvement in internally generated revenue.

“I wish I had more money to fix a lot of things. There are some projects that are almost completed, but because of funds, they seized our local government funds for almost two years. No government can survive it. No government can,” he said.

According to Adeleke, the state’s improved internally generated revenue had also been largely committed to workers’ salaries and other obligations.

“Our IGR has really improved greatly. But by the time we finish paying salaries and doing other things, there is no more money,” he said.

Responding to allegations that his administration had concentrated development in his hometown, Ede, Adeleke dismissed the claim as propaganda, insisting that projects had been distributed across the state.

“Leave that one now. Those are propaganda,” he said.

The governor pointed to flyovers, road projects and other infrastructure in Osogbo and other parts of the state as evidence of his administration’s wider development agenda.

“I put flyovers where I think they are necessary because of traffic congestion,” he said, adding that his administration had also dualised numerous roads in Osogbo and undertaken projects in Ife.

“Because I’m from Ede and I’m governor, Ede is part of Osun State, so I have to fix Ede too. But the development cuts across the state. There is no local government that I did not touch,” he said.

Adeleke said some roads across the state had been abandoned for decades before his administration intervened.

He cited roads that had allegedly been abandoned for about 45 years, saying he personally inspected some of the projects and directed the Commissioner for Works to ensure their completion.

The governor also rejected allegations that incompetent contractors were responsible for the alleged deterioration of some roads constructed by his administration.

“Those people are just talking. Why would I go and hire somebody who is not competent? No, no, no, no. That’s not right. God is not right,” he said.

Adeleke, who secured a second term in office in the August 15 election, said his administration would focus on consolidating its achievements and completing projects affected by funding constraints.

He also reaffirmed his commitment to workers’ welfare, infrastructure, healthcare and other areas contained in his administration’s development agenda.