Deji Adeleke, elder brother to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 22, 2018 governorship poll in Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday, said his brother would not contest the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Adeleke, in a statement he signed and obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, declared that his younger brother had no intention to contest the last governorship election in the first place.
He, however, added that Senator Ademola Adeleke, was prevailed on by the PDP leadership and elders before the family accepted “most reluctantly after receiving assurances and promises that were never kept.”
He said the younger Adeleke should be given a break to take a rest and decide what he would do or not do when the time comes.
He expressed gratitude to those who are concerned about the huge resources committed to execute his younger brother’s participation in the PDP primary and general elections and the payment to lawyers during the litigation period.
Adeleke counselled that money spent on elections should not be considered an investment that would be recouped upon assumption of office through corruption and banditry, but should rather be considered as a grant to help deepen democracy and advance the rule of law.
The statement read, “I am not a card-carrying member of any political party but I am a sympathiser/supporter of the PDP in Osun State. Osun State PDP will be better off and well prepared for the next general election in the state, if internal democracy is encouraged and enforced.
“All elective positions, including the position of governor of the state, should be open to all members of the party to contest in a transparent primary election. Everyone must be given a sense of belonging, in order to grow the party in Osun State.
“The PDP members that are trading blame within the party should be reminded that the PDP won the governorship election held on September 22, 2018, but was not allowed to take office by the powers that be in the ruling party. Members should be proud that the electorate sided with the party against the ruling party in that election and not blame each other for the daylight robbery that deprived the party of the mandate freely given by the good people of Osun State, which has brought shame and disgrace to Nigeria as a country.”
He added, “As for the Adeleke family, of which I am one, we will like to remind all the PDP members that Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke had no intention to contest the governorship election in the first place, but was invited and prevailed upon by the party leadership and party elders to contest the governorship election, which he and his family accepted most reluctantly after receiving assurances and promises that were never kept.
“Everything that followed after this, is now history. Senator Adeleke should, therefore, be given a break, to take his well-deserved rest and decide what he will do/not do when the time comes.
“Contributions to an election fund should always be considered a grant, to help deepen our democracy and advance the rule of law, which eventually translates into Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), economic growth and job creation.”
Reacting to the controversies surrounding reported adoption of Senator Adeleke as the PDP consensus governorship candidate of the 2022 poll, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Diran Odeyemi, said a chieftain of the party from Osun West, while addressing a meeting held in Adeleke’s residence in Ede, on Tuesday, suggested that Senator Adeleke should be re-presented by the party in 2022.
Odeyemi said, “Dr Babalola said in appreciation of the support of the Adelekes to the PDP in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke should be represented in 2022 and everyone seated clapped in appreciation of that motion.
“What I said was that after listening to assurances from Dr Deji Adeleke, who assured us of continuous support, I suggested that he should be made one of the leaders of our party. It happened at a political gathering.”
