Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has struck a defiant tone ahead of the state’s governorship election, brushing off suggestions that federal government backing and support from allied state governors for his APC opponent could sway the outcome of the vote.
Speaking Tuesday at the Arise Townhall Meeting, Adeleke described himself in blunt terms, framing his political resolve as something immovable in the face of outside pressure. “I am a bulldozer. I am not afraid of federal might and governors backing the APC candidate. If they like, they should bring all the governors,” he said.
Rather than treating rival governors’ involvement as a genuine threat, Adeleke dismissed their potential campaign presence as largely symbolic, insisting personal friendships with some of them would not translate into electoral influence. “Those governors are my friends. I am a civilised administrator. They won’t vote; they can only come and dance, and after the election, we will meet,” he said, drawing a clear distinction between political courtesy and actual voting power on the ground.
Adeleke also used the platform to push back against separate allegations that his administration had militarised the state ahead of the election. He was direct in rejecting the claim, pointing to constitutional limits on his own authority as governor. “I did not militarise Osun. I have no such capacity. I am not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he said, framing the accusation as beyond what he could plausibly have carried out given the chain of command over Nigeria’s armed forces.
The governor’s remarks land amid an increasingly intense campaign season, with major political parties across Osun ramping up mobilisation and public appearances as the state moves closer to the governorship vote.
