The Governor of Osun State and Accord Party 2026 governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has urged residents to support his re-election bid, saying his administration has delivered significant development across the state.
Adeleke made the appeal on Tuesday during the Arise Townhall Meeting, where he defended his record in office and outlined his plans ahead of the governorship election, NEWSNGR reports.
The governor also recalled his experience in the 2018 governorship election, saying he returned to school after losing the poll before eventually coming back to contest and win in 2022.
“I was cheated in 2018. I went back to school and returned in 2022,” Adeleke said.
Adeleke said his administration had prioritised development across the state and assured residents that public funds would be used for the benefit of the people.
“Osun State money will stay in Osun,” he declared, promising that “more goodies are on the way.”
The governor also highlighted road construction as one of the areas where his administration had made progress.
He said several roads constructed by his administration had been abandoned for years before his government intervened.
Adeleke dismissed allegations that the roads were poorly constructed, saying qualified Nigerian professionals were engaged to handle 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 Osun State, adding that residents could see and feel the impact of the projects across the state.
He accused the All Progressives Congress of using propaganda to discredit his administration and portray its achievements negatively.
Adeleke also defended his well-known habit of dancing at public events, saying his love for dancing had nothing to do with his ability to govern the state.
The governor has frequently attracted attention for dancing during political rallies and public functions.
Responding to his critics, he said his passion for music and dancing was part of his family background.
“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.
Adeleke expressed confidence in his chances in the forthcoming election despite the political opposition against him.
“Dancing is my hobby. In this election, I will be victorious,” he declared.
The governor also accused the APC of using what he described as federal might to intimidate voters ahead of the election.
Despite the allegation, Adeleke said he remained confident that he would emerge victorious at the poll.
He urged his supporters to remain focused and continue to support his administration.
On security, Adeleke said his academic background in criminology had equipped him with the knowledge needed to tackle security challenges in Osun.
“I am a security expert. I studied criminology. My aim is to protect my people, and I am doing that,” he said.
The governor said his administration had recruited about 1,500 personnel into the Amotekun security outfit as part of efforts to strengthen security across the state.
According to him, the recruits underwent training conducted by senior security officers before being deployed.
Adeleke said Osun had remained relatively peaceful until the approach of the election, alleging that some individuals had recently 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 his concerns over the security situation with relevant authorities.
He added that he had also held meetings with security experts on measures to protect residents before, during and after the election.
Adeleke stressed that the safety of voters and residents remained important to the success of the electoral process.
He urged the people of Osun to remain calm and participate in the election, while maintaining his position that his administration had made enough progress to deserve another term.
