• Gov: I fixed roads neglected for 45 years, recruited over 1,500 Amotekun staff •APC’s Oyebamiji pledges to revamp agriculture, education, health •ADC candidate to restore Awolowo’s legacy, provide 20,000 youth jobs in 100 days Emmanuel Addeh, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo The three leading contenders in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election went head to head yesterday over their records and economic plans, with the incumbent Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, offering their different visions for the state. At the Arise News town hall, held in collaboration with the editorial board of Tribune Newspaper and the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), in Osogbo, Adeleke defended his three-and-a-half-year record, maintaining that he has done enough to earn a second term, and insisting that his government has transformed infrastructure in the South-west state. On his part, Oyebamiji presented himself as an investment and public finance expert capable of turning around the state’s economy, while Salaam promised to revive social programmes associated with earlier administrations and create 20,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office. The election, scheduled for Saturday, August 15, has recently attracted intense political attention, marked by allegations of political violence, arrests, federal interference and disagreements among major political blocs. Adeleke Defends Stewardship, Alleges Intimidation Adeleke, who appeared first during the programme which stretched several hours, said his administration had transformed infrastructure across Osun, particularly through road construction, while also investing in education, healthcare and security. He said the state had constructed about 350 kilometres of roads since he assumed office, with another 150 kilometres under construction, including roads that had remained abandoned for decades. “There are some roads that I visited that have been abandoned for more than 45 years, some 35 years, I said it’s not acceptable. I fixed it, and I promise that Osun State money will stay in Osun, and it’s been happening,” Adeleke said. He said his administration had also installed solar lights across the state, arguing that the projects were contributing to economic activity and improving the appearance of major towns. The governor dismissed allegations by the APC that the roads constructed by his administration were substandard, saying certified Nigerian and international engineers had been engaged to ensure quality. “Talking about substandard roads, it’s a sin, why would I come and do substandard roads. I use certified engineers; I use Nigerian engineers and in fact, we invited an international engineer. I don’t just sit in the office. I move around to double check it,” he said. Adeleke also highlighted what he described as improvements in education, saying Osun had moved from a poor position in national examination rankings to seventh in the country. He said his administration had also invested in agriculture, including the purchase of 31 tractors and provision of seedlings and other farm inputs to farmers. On healthcare, the governor said his administration had rehabilitated about 200 healthcare centres after discovering that an earlier $20 million grant secured for the sector had not produced the desired results. “As of today, we have fixed and rehabilitated about 200 healthcare centres. We put boreholes, we put solar light, and beds and everything is looking so beautiful, as if you are in America,” he said. Adeleke also said security had received attention under his administration, disclosing that more than 1,500 Amotekun personnel had been recruited and trained to protect lives and property. On allegations that his administration had relied more on entertainment and dancing than governance, Adeleke said his personality should not be confused with his approach to public administration. “In our family, we are jolly good fellows. We have music in our blood, and I tell you what: nobody, I repeat, nobody will stop me from dancing. As I’m dancing, I’m working,” he said. “When you come to my office, I’m a very prudent person, and I’m a very serious person. There’s time for everything. There’s time to dance, and there’s time to work,” he maintained. The governor also rejected claims that he was responsible for the militarisation of the state ahead of the election, saying he lacked the constitutional authority to deploy federal security agencies. “I did not militarise. I don’t have that capacity. I am not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr Pre
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