Osun Guber Race: Adeleke’s Camp Divided Over Choice Of Deputy Governorship Candidate

The crisis confronting Senator Ademola Adeleke, who is the PDP-NWC ratified candidate for the July 16th governorship election in Osun State took a new turn in Ifeland yesterday, as there was outcry rejection of his selected and preferred deputy governorship candidate, Kola Adewusi.

It was gathered through a series of viral videos circulated and monitored on social media platforms yesterday how members of the PDP loyal to the Pathfinder Group bankrolled by the Adelekes’ in all the four local government areas of Ifeland trooped out en-masse in their hundreds protesting, chanting curses with warlike choruses, with diverse placards with inscription such as, “Kola Adewusi is a Thief”, “We reject Kola Adewusi in Ifeland”, “Ife will not support Adeleke if Kola Adewusi is the Deputy Governor”, “PDP has made a wrong choice” and many other unprintable names.

Kola Adewusi, a former local government chairman of Ife East LG during the Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola led regime in the state was described by the protesters as the worst and most unfriendly chairman in the history of Ifeland. Adewusi who goes by the moniker, ‘Kosese’ (literally meaning it is not possible). No matter how small or little the help or assistance you seek from Adewusi when he was a chairman, his response was always kosese (it is impossible), says Lateef Omoyeniwa. Adewusi, a cousin to Prof. Wale Oladipo, a close political ally and assiciate of Dr. Deji Adeleke has used his influence and connection to pick him as a running mate to Ademola Adeleke.

Another reason for the wrong choice of Adewusi is his religion, a Christian – Christian ticket cannot fly in Osun State. Ademola Adeleke and Kola Adewusi are both christians. The consensus and takeaway from yesterday’s mass protest was that Ife zone has rejected the slot of deputy Governor ceded to them.

Political watchers have said this is a bad omen for the PDP in the state which is bedridden and bedeviled with too many crisis as the legitimacy of candidature is still a subject of litigation as an high court in Osun State has given judicial pronouncement to INEC and PDP National to recognize Omoba Dotun Babayemi as the party’s flagbearer in the State. Babayemi is said to have the backing of the founding fathers of the PDP in the state with the likes of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Erelu Olusola Obada, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, Chief Tajudeen Oladipo and many notable big wigs.