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Special Adviser to the Governor of Osun State, Olawale Rasheed has written an open letter to the President, Bola Tinubu, seeking his neutrality in the build up to the governorship election slated for August next year.
He also told the President that the All Progressives Congress and its array of aspirants were unelectable as the Osun citizens were satisfied with the performance of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Mr Rasheed’s letter is coming days after controversies trailed the visit of the governor to the President in Lagos, along with his elder brother, Deji Adeleke and nephew, David Adeleke(Davido) on Tuesday.
The visit sparked speculations of Governor Adeleke’s possible defection to the APC ahead of the election. Some APC members had described the visit as a show of desperation by the governor seeking to curry the favour of the President in view of the coming polls.
A reaction from the APC had indicated that there was no room for the governor in the party and that the party’s ticket was not for sale.
The governor and his aides have denied the report on the intention of the visit, saying it was fake and that the visit was borne out of courtesy in view of the sallah festivities.
Mr Rasheed attempted in his letter to draw the President’s attention to the fact that the governor was more favorably disposed to his leadership than some of the APC members on Osun State.
He said Governor Adeleke is “a man who from 2022 has never directly or indirectly attacked your person, unlike some of your party members who have disrespected your esteemed office and person by series of irresponsible outbursts over a very harmless courtesy visit on you, the President of all Nigerians, by the Osun state governor.
“Sir, permit me to make reference to the issue of a second term for both the Governor and you, the leader of the nation. You are a battle tested democrat. Your love for a free and fair contest is known to all. Nobody will request you to impose him on the people. The clarion call on you is to be the father of all by allowing free contests among your sons. Osun people will then judge using their ballot papers.”
Highlighting the achievements of his principal, Mr Rasheed noted that the governor has within less than three years, responsibly and productively governed the state with deliveries and dividends that surpass the combined output of 12 years of the previous APC rule.
He also insinuated that the visit underscores the political strategies of Mr President for his future electoral ambitions.
“When you granted audience to the Osun State Governor, it was in fulfillment of your position as the father of the nation, a bridge builder and a leader always a step ahead of future battle,” he said.
“But sir, some of your party members in Osun state are permuting at lower frequency. Their worldview appears so hollow that they cannot see what you see, they cannot comprehend the strategic moves you are making to rebuild Nigeria and soften ground for future wins.”
He also said that “today, Osun APC and its aspirants are unelectable,” because they are far removed from the citizens and have also failed to see the achievements of the current administration..
Mr Rasheed also used the letter to acquaint the President with some of the projects and achievements of the governor such as construction of over 250 kilometers of roads, paying over N60 billion in pension and salary debt, rehabilitating over 200 health centres, upgraded over 100 schools, placed more than 3000 pensioners on free health insurance, purchased 31 tractors for mechanisation, launched Osun digital economy, upgraded sport sector with state sport commission among others.
Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Olabisi, in a statement said the visit of Davido, his father, and uncle to the President had no significant political implications on the governorship aspirants of the APC.
“Our party is intact in our state and I am eminently qualified to state that we have an array of capable and qualified governorship aspirants who have been consulting with interest groups about their 2026 gubernatorial aspirations, to take over from the current bumbling and fumbling governor and give quality leadership to the people of Osun State,” Mr Olabisi said.
“The troubled looks on the faces of the three visitors to the President indicated a pointer to the fact that if something was not chasing them or they were definitely chasing something.
“It was only Governor Ademola, his brother, Deji and nephew, Davido who could feel where their shoes were pinching them but definitely, there is fire on the mountain for the trio and the Osun State chapter of the PDP.”
He said Governor Adeleke had used various media outlets to antagonise the President and his economic policies, adding that in spite of that it was within his rights to visit the President
He said there was nothing strange in a state governor visiting the number one citizen of the nation, especially during the festivities.
He however said when a combative governor, who had been full of hate and bile towards the President engaged in such an “emergency visit,” there would be reason to guess that there was something untoward.
Although the governor has a year and some months in his administration, contentions for his second term bid are already in high gears akin to what appears to be the focus of political parties ahead of 2027 presidential election.
Governor Adeleke was sworn in as the 6th democratically elected governor of Osun State on November 27, 2022, after the INEC declared him winner of the governorship election on June 17.
He defeated incumbent governor Adegboyega Oyetola by scoring a total of 403,371 votes. Mr Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, got 375,027 votes in the keenly contested race. Governor Adeleke secured the victory after winning in 17 of the 30 local government areas of the state.