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Why Osun people love me! I did in 100 days what Oyetola couldn’t achieve in four years – Adeleke
A confident Ademola Adeleke, Governor of Osun State, on Friday gave the major reason he can never lose an election against Gboyega Oyetola, his successor, hinging it on the mutual love existing between him and the people and the fact that he had used the opportunity he has to serve them.
Adeleke, who was a guest of Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, told his host, shortly after the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, re-affirmed him as the authentic governor of the state that the only option for Oyetola, was to move on and forget about returning to power in the state.
He said the verdict of the appellate court, which upturned that of the Osun State Electoral Petition Tribunal, was a vindication by God that he truly won the election of July 16 last year, despite the attempt to truncate the victory in January, thanking the people of the state for their support.
Hear him: “God has really vindicated me that on the July 16 election, my people in Osun State, they voted for me. I told the world that the tribunal did what is called miscarriage of justice. And now, the appeal, they’ve cleared everything and the court affirmed me as the authentic governor of Osun State.
“For the Osun people, I have to thank them for their massive support. I dedicate this victory to God and to the whole state. Democracy is at play here. If they (Oyetola) feel that the want to go the Supreme Court, so be it. But I believe that we should move forward and make sure that Osun State grows from strength to strength. But if they feel that they should go to the Supreme Court, we shall meet.
“I have confidence because I know that my people love me and I love my people of Osun State. And they voted for me massively. The Court of Appeal has established the whole thing about over-voting. There was no over-voting. They have given the signal that the primary thing about the election is on the BIVAS. So, I’m so confident that my people love me. After my July 16th election, the February 25th election, has confirmed that I’m the authentic winner of the July 16th election. Our party won all the Senate, the House of Representatives we have in Osun State, we won all.
“Of course, the just concluded House of Assembly last weekend, on March 18, we won everything. That has confirmed everything. That’s why I’m so confident that my people are with me and that they’re going to be with me all the way. The judgement of the Appeal Court is so watertight that even if it goes to the Supreme Court, it will favour me.”
Adeleke, who said he had already shown his capacity to bring positive development in the state, said anyone who cared to see should visit the state to see for themselves, what he had done in his short stay in office.
Hear him: “I’ve demonstrated it during the 100 days. In 100 days, what they could not do in four years, I’ve done it. Are you going to talk about healthcare, are you going to talk about the roads and water supply everywhere? I’ve touched the lives of the people. I’m a grassroots man to the core. Come and see street credibility. I cannot even go out or go into my office. People will troop out everyday that I go to my office. They’ll be calling me Imole. Imole has come to stay here. And when light comes, darkness vanishes. That is it.”
Reiterating his faith and appreciation to God over the development, in another statement he personally to thank the people, he reiterated his extension of an olive branch to his opponents on the need to join hands with him in the taske of developing the state.
He added: ” I thank God Almighty and our good people of Osun state. I dedicate this victory to God and my people. This judgement confirmed my earlier position that the judgement of the Tribunal is a miscarriage of Justice. The judiciary has right the wrongs of the lower Court. This has rekindled the confidence of the nation in the integrity of the judiciary as the stabiliser of the judiciary and last hope of the common man.
“I am particularly glad that the Court of Appeal has ruled that BVAS machine and voters register are the primary sources, not the report from the server. This has strengthened our democracy and remove a time bomb which the judgement of the Tribunal had planted for our democracy.
“I appreciate Osun people for standing by me and my party through repeated validation of my governorship mandate at the recent federal and state elections. My party won three straight elections from July 16th 2022 to the March 18th ,2023. It was a resounding vote of confidence in my governorship by the people of Osun state. The judiciary has now confirmed the will of the people that I am the validly elected Governor of my state.
“My appreciation goes to the civil servants, artisans, market people, clerics,students, women and youth. Osun people defended the mandate from 2022 to date. I commend the judiciary for resisting all pressure. Rule of law is strengthened when judgement affirms the will of the people. On behalf of Osun people and my party, the PDP,, we appreciate the judiciary and the men of conscience on the bar and the bench.
“Let me use this opportunity to extend sincere hands of fellowship to former Governor Oyetola and the APC. Let build the state together. Let unite for the good of our people. The State needs leaders across party lines to join hands for robust and accelerated development of the state. As brothers and sisters, we are all requested to start the process of healing. Forget party politics as election is over. All members of the political class in Osun state should join hands with me to take our state to greater height.”
“They apologised to me privately. I said they should put it on social media. They said they will not put it on social media, it will affect their credibility, because it’s not just them, but their other programmers at the Al Jazeera network too.”
These were the words of Daniel Bwala, while giving further insight into what has transpired along the line since his controversial interview with Mehdi Hasan of Al Jazeera, a global television network in March 2026, stating that the station privately apologised to him.
Bwala, who appeared on The Morayo Show, a private talk-show programme, hosted by Morayo Afolabi-Brown, a popular television presenter, however said because both Mehdi and Al Jazeera, refused to make the apology public, he was prompted him to instruct his lawyers in England to sue for defamation.
Clips on the controversial outing in which Bwala, spokesman for the campaign of Atiku Abubakar during his presidential bid in 2023, were in the public domain for several weeks after where a groundswell of commentators believed his performance was not only underwhelming, but he was outrightly disgraced.
He added: “The substance of the apology was that they should have told me that part of what they discussed with me was a talking point, that they were also going to interrogate me on my credibility for supporting the person I had attacked before.
“By their own ethics, they ought to have told me that, but they said they were sorry they didn’t. If you’re bold, if you call yourself a journalist, a fact-checker, you run your programme live and let people judge live.
“If you’re thinking straight, that’s what you’d do. You took creative control of the programme. You made a recorded programme. Ethics demanded you publish it exactly as it was recorded.”
Informing that the programme ran for one hour and 30 minutes but Al Jazeera published only 49 minutes, he accused the network of skewing the footage in Hasan’s favour, adding: “The deeper point is that they cut out the parts where I was fact-checking him and the crowd was clapping for me, and instead kept the parts where he was speaking and people were clapping for him. He’d ask me a question, I’d deny it, then he’d play the old clip. We call that ‘cut and joined’ in media. After doing that, which amounts to a smear campaign, he didn’t give me the chance to react to it.
“Instead, he let it appear that I was simply asked a question, denied it, was shown the clip, denied it again, was shown another clip, and denied it again. He removed that part, because if he’d left it in, anyone watching would understand that I had already answered the question upfront, and that my later denials were a response to his repeated bringing it up. That’s where the unethical conduct of a professional issue arose.
“When they apologised, I said no, put it on social media. They refused. So, I instructed my lawyers in England to go to court. The case is currently in court. Because my advisers in England said it’s defamation of character.”
More successes are being recorded by Nigerian forces trying to rout out terrorist in parts of the country, with emerging reports indicating that the perpetrators are currently running scared from the hot onslaughts they are getting from the operatives.
Channels Television, is quoting military authorities at the Operation Hadin kai (OPHK) conducting military blitzkrieg against the terrorists in the North East as saying that the troops received six Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), one of the major terrorist groups operating in the area, who surrendered alongside their families, at the 192 Battalion (Main) Sector 1 of the body.
Quoting a statement on Wednesday by Mohammed Goni, spokesman of the military operation, with headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State, the report, said that among the items recovered from the terrorists and their families included a cumulative sum of more than N1.5 million, two Tecno mobile phones, and other items.
Th statement, added that troops of 115 Task Force Battalion, while conducting ongoing search and rescue operations in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, on July 7, rescued two additional abductees from a terrorist hideout, where they also recovered cash of N1.2 million suspected to be proceeds of criminal activities, food items, and other logistics believed to have supported terrorist operations.
The rescued victims have since been evacuated to a secure location where they are receiving appropriate medical care and psychosocial support, the report said, adding that during the same period, the troops noted that it contained a coordinated attack by ISWAP terrorists in Borno, and one of the soldiers was killed.
“Although the insurgents briefly exploited a section of the base’s defensive perimeter during the intense firefight, the troops rapidly regrouped, mounted a determined counter-offensive and decisively expelled the attackers, inflicting significant casualties and forcing the surviving terrorists to flee with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
“Regrettably, one gallant soldier paid the supreme price, while two gun-trucks and some combat enablers sustained damage during the engagement. The situation at FOB Logomani remains firmly under the control of Operation HADIN KAI troops, with reinforcements deployed, exploitation operations ongoing and additional measures being implemented to further strengthen the defensive resilience of the location.”
Detailing how troops of 232 Battalion apprehended a notorious criminal in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, the statement, said: “Follow-up exploitation of the arrest led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and twenty-eight rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
“The suspect and recovered items are currently in military custody, while further investigations are underway to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal network.”
Similarly, the statement said troops of the 149 Battalion arrested two suspected terrorist logistics suppliers in the Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.
The recovered items include cash sums, a Volkswagen Golf vehicle, construction materials, household items, and other supplies suspected to have been destined for terrorist elements.
The suspects are currently undergoing interrogation, while the recovered items remain in military custody as investigations continue.
As part of ongoing offensive operations, troops of 24 Task Force Brigade, in conjunction with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, conducted a clearance operation on known terrorist enclaves around Wulgo.
During the operation, the troops said they exploited the terrorists’ hasty withdrawal and recovered a sack containing assorted illicit drugs abandoned by the fleeing insurgents.
“The recovery further underscores the sustained pressure being mounted on terrorist elements, denying them freedom of movement and disrupting their operational capabilities.”
Relatedly, the troops apprehended a suspected BHT/ISWAP logistics supplier at the Molai checkpoint in possession of large quantities of medical supplies without due clearance. The suspect and items recovered are in custody for further interrogation.
Again, in Sector 2 Area of Responsibility, Troops of 233 Tank Battalion, in conjunction with local hunters, intercepted and arrested a suspected BHT/ISWAP terrorist logistics supplier from Ngirya village of Tarmuwa LGA with five motorcycle tires. The suspect and items are in military custody for investigation.
“These latest operational gains underscore the effectiveness of sustained offensive operations, actionable intelligence and the seamless collaboration among security agencies and auxiliary forces in dismantling terrorist logistics networks, disrupting criminal activities and protecting vulnerable communities across the North East”, the statement added.
Headquarters Operation HADIN KAI assured the public that ongoing search and rescue operations will continue with unwavering resolve until every abducted person is accounted for and safely reunited with their families.
“The Theatre Command also issues a stern warning to individuals involved in supplying food, fuel, construction materials, transportation or any other form of logistics to terrorist groups to immediately desist. Anyone found aiding, abetting or collaborating with terrorist elements, directly or indirectly, will be identified, apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, is insistent President Bola Tinubu has so battered the Nigerian economy that Nigerians with thriving businesses are now selling kulikuli – a local groundnut cake snack.
Obi, former Governor of Anambra State, who contested the same election in 2023, where Tinubu was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), told Chude Jideonwo, a popular social media programme host, while appearing in his #WithChude podcast, that the way things were going today, the President had nothing more to offer Nigeria than more misery.
Citing a situation in which Tinubu had taken Nigeria from the 87 million poor people to the current figure of 140 million in his three years of governance, Obi, said the idea of Renewed Hope the President sold the country through his All Progressives Congress (APC), indicated a total collapse of the economy and a complete mess of the system that must result in him throwing in the towel and going home to take his rest.
Hear him: “Those who jumped into Tinubu’s experimental things that this man did this or did that and is going to create a future, have seen that the whole thing has become a mess. Renewed Hope has now become Renewed Hopelessness.
“When President Tinubu came into power, 87million Nigerians were living in poverty, today it is 140million. We were number five below where we are today in hunger-list. Today, it has increased. Everything has gotten worse. We are no longer talking about ghost workers now, you can see where we’ve gotten.
“So, everything – insecurity – everything is getting worse. Which hope are they going to renew again? You can’t renew failure. So, the only thing to do now is to plead with them – there is a way you fail in school and they’ll ask you to leave the school.
“Tinubu’s supporters have joined my supporters. They have, because they’ve seen it themselves. Nobody can tell you that things are moving well. What are you going to do now? Those who had businesses – people who had businesses before he came into power – they’re now the people who’re selling kulikuli.”
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