Aregbesola delivers underhand blow to Adeleke asking Osun voters not to elect dullard as governor

OSUN State governor Rauf Aregbesola has delivered an underhand blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election Senator Ademola Adeleke asking the electorate not to elect a dullard as their new chief executive.

On September 22, Osun State goes to the polls as Governor Aregbesola's two terms in office is about to expire and the contest will pitch his All Progressives Congress (APC) against Senator Adeleke of the PDP.  Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, currently the governor's chief of staff is the APC candidate and the election is expected to be a two-horse race between him and the dancing Senator Adeleke.

Highly visible both nationally and internationally because of his dancing prowess, Senator Adeleke, representing Osun West Senatorial District, scrapped home with 1,569 votes in the PDP primaries, just beating his nearest rival Akin Ogunbiyi, who had 1,562 votes. Since then, however, he has been fiercely attacked by his political opponents who say he lacks the intellectual capacity to be governor.

Adding his voice to the criticism, Governor Aregbesola urged the people of Osun State not to leave a man with quality education who is well-tested to vote for a dullard as governor. Speaking during a rally in Ikire to mobilise support for Alhaji Oyetola, he said the APC is ordained to deliver the state from under-development.

Ikire is the home town of the APC running mate, Benedict Alabi and is the headquarters of Irewole Local Government Area. At the rally, Alhaji Oyetola thanked the huge crowd for their patience and promised to provide quality leadership if elected in the September 22 election.

Governor Aregbesola said: “Oyetola attended good schools from elementary to the university and has proved himself to be a role model to the youths. He is hardworking, experienced and competent and is a candidate to trust.

"You must not allow someone that students cannot be proud of, who the students cannot aspire to be like educationally to rule the state. Academically and professionally, Oyetola has made his mark, so, Osun cannot afford to have a dullard or a desperado as governor.”

Upon wining the PDP nomination, two of Senator Adeleke's opponents Rasheed Olabayo and Idowu Oluwaseun, filed a suit asking the court to restrain him from being presented as the governorship candidate of the party because he did not have the basic educational qualifications. In its ruling, however, the court sitting in Osogbo dismissed the suit with Justice David Oladimeji, ruling that the plaintiffs admitted in their affidavit that Senator Adeleke attended Ede Muslim Grammar School now known as Ede Muslim High School.

Senator Adeleke described those questioning his attendance at the school as clearly being mischievous and deceptive. He dismissed the criticism of his academic records revealing that he gained admission into the university in the US without presenting his West African School Certificate Examination result.