Adeleke family alleges betrayal, rejects 2022 PDP gov ticket – TheNigerialawyer

Deji Adeleke, elder brother to the candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party in the September 22, 2018 governorship poll in
Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday, said many promises made
by the PDP before the family accepted the party’s governorship
ticket were not kept.

Adeleke, in a statement he signed and obtained in Osogbo on
Thursday, declared that his younger brother had no intention to
contest the governorship election in the first place.

He, however, added that Senator Ademola Adeleke, was prevailed
on by the PDP leadership and elders before the family accepted
“most reluctantly after receiving assurances and promises that were
never kept.”

He said the younger Adeleke should be given a break to take a
rest and decide what he would do or not do when the time comes.

He expressed gratitude to those who are concerned about the huge
resources committed to execute his younger brother’s participation
in the PDP primary and general elections and the payment to lawyers
during the litigation period.

Adeleke conselled that money spent on elections should not be
considered an investment that would be recouped upon assumption of
office through corruption and banditry, but should rather be
considered as a grant to help deepen democracy and advance the rule
of law.

The statement read, “I am not a card-carrying member of any
political party but I am a sympathiser/supporter of the PDP in Osun
State. Osun State PDP will be better off and well prepared for the
next general election in the state, if internal democracy is
encouraged and enforced.

“All elective positions, including the position of governor of
the state, should be open to all members of the party to contest in
a transparent primary election. Everyone must be given a sense of
belonging, in order to grow the party in Osun State.

“The PDP members that are trading blame within the party should
be reminded that the PDP won the governorship election held on
September 22, 2018, but was not allowed to take office by the
powers that be in the ruling party. Members should be proud that
the electorate sided with the party against the ruling party in
that election and not blame each other for the daylight robbery
that deprived the party of the mandate freely given by the good
people of Osun State, which has brought shame and disgrace to
Nigeria as a country.”

He added, “As for the Adeleke family, of which I am one, we will
like to remind all the PDP members that Senator Ademola Nurudeen
Adeleke had no intention to contest the governorship election in
the first place, but was invited and prevailed upon by the party
leadership and party elders to contest the governorship election,
which he and his family accepted most reluctantly after receiving
assurances and promises that were never kept.

“Everything that followed after this, is now history. Senator
Adeleke should, therefore, be given a break, to take his
well-deserved rest and decide what he will do/not do when the time
comes.

“Contributions to an election fund should always be considered a
grant, to help deepen our democracy and advance the rule of law,
which eventually translates into Foreign Direct Investments (FDI),
economic growth and job creation.”

Reacting to the controversies surrounding reported adoption of
Senator Adeleke as the PDP consensus governorship candidate of the
2022 poll, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party,
Diran Odeyemi, said a chieftain of the party from Osun West, while
addressing a meeting held in Adeleke’s residence in Ede, on
Tuesday, suggested that Senator Adeleke should be re-presented by
the party in 2022.

Odeyemi said, “Dr Babalola said in appreciation of the support
of the Adelekes to the PDP in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke
should be represented in 2022 and everyone seated clapped in
appreciation of that motion.

“What I said was that after listening to assurances from Dr Deji
Adeleke, who assured us of continuous support, I suggested that he
should be made one of the leaders of our party. It happened at a
political gathering.”

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