Ismaeel Uthman
THE candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 16 governorship election in the State of Osun, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has dismised insinuations that his party is in alliance with Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
According to Adeleke, it is untrue that the PDP is in talk with Aregbesola to solicit his support and that of The Osun Progressives (TOP) a caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, on the coming gubernatorial election.
He stated this yesterday in an interview on Rave FM, a private radio station in Osogbo.
The governorship hopeful said: “I don’t have any alliance with Aregbesola. Neither me, nor my party, the PDP is in talk or alliance with Aregbesola. The last time I spoke or met with Aregbesola was in 2014 when my late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke and I defected to the APC. After that, I have not talked to Aregbesola.”
Adeleke absolved the former governor of the state of involvement in the defection of some APC members to the PDP, saying “those people leaving APC to PDP are doing that on their own. Aregbesola does not know anything about it. The people are leaving because they are aggrieved.
“Members of TOP are grown up adults. They can decide on their own. I am happy that they are coming to join PDP; it is a plus for me and the party. However, they are not joining because Aregbesola directed or signaled to them. They are leaving APC because they were not treated fairly.”