The governor-elect of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has denied reports that the minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola supported his governorship ambition.
He however added that some of Aregbesola’s associates, having been disaffected within the APC, joined forces with him to win the election.
“I did not work with Aregbesola. I didn’t even talk to him, but all I know is his associates, for example, Kolapo Alimi, one of the lawyers that represented Oyetola at the tribunal,” he said.
“Then, anytime I saw him (Alimi) in court, because I’m a civilised person, I will go to them and greet them and say ‘how are you doing?’
“It was later he apologised and said ‘he was thinking ‘why is senator Adeleke greeting me?
“We are trying to mess him up and he is still greeting me’.
“But he later told me that while I was greeting him, I didn’t know that I was giving them poison.
” They knew that I won the election and they rigged me out and I was still greeting them. I believe that Aregbesola and Oyetola fell out.
“He (Alimi) came to me and said he has watched me and that he wants to join our party and we accepted.
” But Aregbesola directly? No. But we know a lot of top APC that joined.
“Assuming that I had been talking to Aregbesola one way or the other, then I would say that maybe he gave them go-ahead to support me.
He then added that Aregbesola’s associates were grown, experienced people who could take decisions independently on whom to support.
“These people have grown; they have their own minds to decide if they want to join me or not.
“They believed that I was the one to beat and they came to me.
” I won’t know whether Aregbesola gave them go-ahead or not, because I have not been talking to Aregbesola.”
