Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has assured the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to feel free within the state, saying nobody can chase him away.
“Mr Minister, I am assuring you, that this is your state, nobody can chase you away”, Adeleke told Aregbesola on Tuesday when he joined the former governor of the state to launch the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Front Office and Passport Production Centre in the Ilesa, Osun State.
Aregbesola was governor from 2010 to 2018 and was succeeded by Mr Gboyega Oyetola, who lost last year’s governorship election to Adeleke. The dispute over that election was resolved last week in Adeleke’s favour by the Court of Appeal, while Oyetola has vowed to pursue the matter at the Supreme Court.
“This is your state, you are welcome at anytime. Even, you can come around to the Government House. When I complete all of the structures I am currently working on at the Government House, I will personally invite you to commission it”, Adeleke said to Aregbesola.
Adeleke also lauded the minister for being a worthy ambassador of the state, reassuring him of the state’s support in all ramifications.
Adeleke, who affirmed his resolve as a progressive, promised to complete all projects of the former governor, which were allegedly abandoned by Oyetola administration.
“No matter the party you are, if you are a progressive, you are a progressive if you are doing what the people want. When he (Aregbesola) was Governor, he loved the people and the people loved him. All the projects Ogbeni left, it was abandoned for years. I promised the people during my campaign that I was going to continue the projects, that is what I am doing.
“As a civilised person, no matter the party you are, you will always love progress. That is what I will always continue to ensure that all developmental projects are continued. As a federal minister from the state, we are proud of your achievements and we will continue to be proud of you,” he said.
Both Aregbesola and Oyetola leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adeleke belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Aregbesola and Oyetola were believed to have fallen apart, and the minister backed another APC aspirant, Moshood Adeoti. Oyetola however floored the minister’s candidate at the party governorship primary early 2022.
Oyetola however lost last 16th July governorship election to PDP’s Adeleke, whose victory has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal after losing to Oyetola at the election petition tribunal.
