By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, July 21, 2022

The Osun Government says the claim by the Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the state government officials were diverting and looting government assets and property, is not true.

Adeleke had, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Malam Olawale Rasheed, warned Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola and his allies against diversion and looting of the government’s assets and public properties.

According to Adeleke, some government functionaries and appointees of the governor are converting the public assets to private use.

“We have it on good authority that Osun State assets within the state, Kogi, Lagos, Abuja and outside the shore of the country, are being tampered with for private acquisition.

“We have detailed reports of several property currently being processed for ownership transfer involving serving commissioners and top government officials, hence, serious warning to those involved in the illegal deals,” Rasheed said.

In a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, said “PDP is only peddling lies and propaganda just to curry underserved public sympathy.”

Egbemode, in a statement, said that Oyetola does not have a background of pilfering or misappropriating funds, adding, “the records are there for all to see and deduce from.”

The commissioner said that no government official had embarked on any looting or diversion of any government assets/property as being claimed by the PDP.

“We know where Sen. Ademola Adeleke, the Governor-elect, is coming from and the world also knows the antecedent of the incumbent Governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, the hardworking leader, who has served the people of Osun State meritoriously.

“He does not have the background of pilfering or misappropriating funds. The records are there for verification,” she said.

Egbemode, responding to allegation that Oyetola took N17 billion to prosecute last Saturday’s governorship election, also said, “Gov. Oyetola did not take any N17 billion loan to prosecute the election as alleged by Adeleke”.

According to her, we are calling on the people of Osun to ignore the fake lamentations of the incurable propagandists.

“Gov. Oyetola has done well thus far and he will continue to do right by the people,” Egbemode said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday morning declared Adeleke as the winner of the Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Announcing the results at the INEC Collation Centre,  Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the State Returning Officer, said that Adeleke polled 403, 371 votes to defeat his closet rival, Oyetola, the candidate of the  All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored  375,027 votes.

NAN reports that the PDP won in 17 local government areas, while APC won in 13.