Businessman Prince Isaac Fayose has criticised Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over his post-election engagements with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite allegations of violence and killings during the August 15 governorship election.
Fayose’s reaction followed Adeleke’s meetings with prominent APC figures, including President Bola Tinubu, after the governor was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ahead of the poll, Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, had raised concerns over alleged attacks on his supporters. The APC, however, also accused individuals allegedly linked to Adeleke’s camp of attacking its supporters.
The rival allegations heightened political tension in the state during the election period, although the claims of the number of people killed were not independently established in the information available.
Despite the controversies, INEC declared Adeleke the winner of the governorship election.
His subsequent engagements with APC leaders have, however, attracted criticism from some of his supporters and political observers who expected the governor to maintain a more combative posture towards the ruling party.
Reacting in a post on his official Facebook page, Fayose questioned Adeleke’s decision to engage with political figures he described as his alleged oppressors.
“29 people died fighting for Adeleke, and the same Adeleke is now with the oppressors. What a country!” he wrote.
Fayose also raised questions about the alleged financial cost of the election, citing claims attributed to different political actors.
He referenced a claim by Davido’s father that the APC spent N60 billion on the election, while former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose was quoted as saying the Accord Party spent N40 billion.
According to him, the alleged combined expenditure of N100 billion highlighted the enormous financial burden associated with Nigerian elections.
Fayose argued that such resources, if distributed among ordinary Nigerians, could have significantly improved the lives of many people.
“This means that both parties spent N100 billion on the governorship election. If you shared that N100 billion among the people, do you know how many lives you would touch? And this is taxpayers’ money,” he said.
The comments come as Adeleke seeks to consolidate his administration following his victory and has called for unity among political leaders and stakeholders in Osun State.
