Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has fired back at Governor Ademola Adeleke over a controversial car claim, accusing the governor of misrepresenting how he got an official vehicle.
Oyinlola said the vehicle Adeleke claimed to have bought for him was not a personal gift from the governor but a statutory entitlement provided by the Osun State Government.
The former governor spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday while explaining why he chose to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, against Adeleke in Saturday’s election.
The car controversy has added another layer to the growing political battle between Oyinlola and Adeleke, who are both former and current leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun.
Adeleke had reportedly cited the vehicle among the things his administration had done for Oyinlola, but the former governor rejected the claim, insisting that the governor was taking credit for an obligation imposed on the state by law.
Oyinlola said the Osun State House of Assembly had enacted a law providing certain benefits for former governors, including the replacement of their official vehicles every four years.
He said the vehicle he received was therefore supplied by the Osun State Government in line with the law and not personally purchased by Adeleke.
“That is far from the truth. It is a sad development that the governor will continue to tell lies,” Oyinlola said.
He stressed that he had been out of government for about three years and that Adeleke was not responsible for personally giving him the vehicle.
“It wasn’t Ademola that gave me the vehicle. It was the Osun State Government. It is a law of the state enacted by the House of Assembly,” he said.
Oyinlola also bristled at what he considered an attempt to portray him as someone who had approached Adeleke for a favour.
By his account, he had owned cars long before he became governor and had no reason to beg the incumbent governor for one.
“By the grace of God, I started buying a car when I was 21. When I was going to Government House, I went with my entire convoy. Why will he paint it like I went to beg?” he asked.
The former governor went further, claiming that the state still owes him three more vehicles under the same arrangement.
He said the benefits due to former governors also included security, drivers and other support, arguing that these were statutory responsibilities rather than personal favours from Adeleke.
The explosive car dispute came as Oyinlola explained his decision to support Oyebamiji rather than seek Adeleke’s re-election.
He blamed the PDP’s national crisis, Adeleke’s decision to leave the party for the Accord Party without what he described as adequate consultation, and alleged imbalance in the distribution of government projects across Osun.
Oyinlola accused Adeleke’s administration of concentrating development in Ede, the governor’s hometown, alleging that out of N362 billion spent on major projects, N260.5 billion went to Ede.
He also complained about the weakening of the PDP’s structure in the state, claiming that party activities had increasingly centred around Ede rather than the party headquarters in Osogbo.
Despite his decision to back the APC candidate, Oyinlola said his action was consistent with his political history.
He recalled that he supported former Governor Rauf Aregbesola shortly before an election after falling out with the PDP, saying his military background had taught him to carefully assess situations before reaching a decision.
Oyinlola insisted that he had no regrets about backing Oyebamiji.
“I have done my appreciation and drawn my conclusion that will lead to a positive end. I think I have done that. I have no regrets whatsoever,” he said.
