Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has taken a fresh swipe at his Edo State counterpart, Monday Okpebholo, mocking him over his name and questioning his level of education after the Edo governor attacked him over his trademark dancing.
Adeleke fired the salvo on Tuesday during a town hall meeting organised by Arise TV for candidates contesting the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The war of words followed Okpebholo’s recent appearance at an All Progressives Congress campaign rally in Osun, where he mocked Adeleke as the “dancing governor” and urged voters to reject him at the poll.
But Adeleke, who appeared unfazed by the criticism, hit back at the Edo governor, boasting that he was a “bulldozer” and insisting that the governors criticising him were not the people who would determine the outcome of the election.
Adeleke said many of the governors were his friends and privately told him they were only joking when they criticised him.
He then singled out Okpebholo, taking a swipe at his education and questioning his decision to campaign in Osun without allegedly obtaining clearance from him.
“I’m a bulldozer. Let them bring the 30-something governors. They are all my friends. They all call me later to say they’re just playing ooo. They’re not the ones to vote. Some of them are well educated, not one Governor Okpebholo who came to my state. What type of name is that? You came to my state and you didn’t have clearance from me. These people are not civilised,” Adeleke said.
The exchange has further heated up the political atmosphere in Osun, with the two governors now trading barbs over Adeleke’s personality and style of leadership as the election draws closer.
Adeleke also defended his dancing, insisting that his energetic displays were simply part of his personality and had not affected his performance as governor.
The governor said dancing runs in his family and that he remained a “prudent worker” despite his love for music and dancing.
He maintained that there was a time to dance and a time to work, adding that his administration had delivered projects across different sectors of the state.
Adeleke challenged his critics to learn how to dance if they were uncomfortable with his moves, saying he could teach them.
He insisted that dancing was only a hobby and had nothing to do with his capacity to govern, stressing that his people loved him for who he was.
The latest clash comes as Adeleke seeks re-election in Saturday’s poll, after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party under which he won the 2022 governorship election for the Accord Party.
He is facing the All Progressives Congress candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, and other contenders in the keenly watched election.
With just days to the poll, the verbal exchange between Adeleke and Okpebholo has added another dramatic dimension to an already heated campaign, as political parties intensify their efforts to win over Osun voters.
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