By Precious Mark
Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has debunked claims that the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, personally bought vehicles for him, describing the allegation as false, misleading, and a sad effort to misinform the public.
Oyinlola made the clarification on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s political programme, Politics Today, where he explained that the official vehicles handed to him were provided in strict compliance with the statutory severance and pension law enacted by the Osun State House of Assembly for former governors, and not as a personal favor or gift from Adeleke.
Setting the record straight, the former governor stated that the state law mandates the Osun State Government to replace the official vehicles of former governors every four years, alongside providing security, administrative, and domestic support.
“That is far from the truth. And it is a sad development that the governor will continue to tell lies,” Oyinlola declared while responding to claims that Adeleke bought him cars to win his political loyalty.
“The Osun State House of Assembly enacted a law whereby some packages were accrued to whosoever has governed the state. One of the things that should be accrued to a former governor is that for every four years, his vehicle should be changed,” he added.
Oyinlola pointed out that having left office 16 years ago, he was statutorily entitled to vehicle replacements covering three four-year cycles from the state, emphasizing that the provision was a legal right rather than a personal gesture from the sitting governor.
“It wasn’t Ademola that gave it, it was Osun State government. It is a law of the state enacted by the House of Assembly. So going about to misinform is a sad development for the chief executive of the state,” Oyinlola said.
He further elaborated on the scope of the statutory entitlement, noting, “The other thing is that my security should be taken care of. The police should be paid for. The cook should be taken care of. And the drivers. Those are the tendencies of that enactment.”
Rejecting insinuations that he approached the state government to beg for vehicles before parting ways politically with the governor, Oyinlola stressed that he had achieved financial independence long before entering public office.
“I am trying to tell the whole world. I did not walk to the state when it was said I was begging for a vehicle,” he maintained.
“And by the grace of God, I have had my car since I was 21. And when I was going to the government house, I went with my entire convoy because the Lord has been grateful to me before I became governor of Osun State,” Oyinlola stated.
Shifting focus to the administration’s performance, the former governor accused the Adeleke government of deviating from the vision of Osun State’s founding fathers, which emphasizes even and equitable development across all senatorial districts.
He alleged that out of about N362 billion spent on 20 major infrastructure projects by the current administration, a disproportionate sum of N260.5 billion was concentrated in Ede, the governor’s home senatorial district to the detriment of other sections of the state.
“When you scale things in preference to your own area, it does not go well,” Oyinlola remarked.
Illustrating his grievance over what he described as unfair allocation of state resources, the former governor added, “If there are 10 pieces of meat in the bowl of an association and the leader made away with 8 out of the 10 pieces of meat, I doubt if that association will progress.”