The first civilian Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, has said that elders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state asked him to pick form and run for the office again.
Adeleke said that there was no way he would had turned the request of the elders down since the party was desirous of winning the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
He said that the leaders of the party in the state believed that with him, the chances of the party winning the election would be 80 per cent.
Adeleke spoke with journalists in Abuja at the party’s secretariat when he came to submit his nomination form to enable him contest the PDP governorship primaries in the state.
He said, “My elders asked me to contest and they believe that with me as the candidate, the chances of the party winning the governorship election is 80 per cent.
“So, I decided to heed the call and that’s why I’m here to drop my form.”
Even with the persuasion by the elders, Adeleke said that there was no way he would be a reluctant governor.
“I won’t be a reluctant governor because I know what to do. My manifesto would soon be released for the people to see,” he added.
On the claim by another aspirant, Sen. Olasunkanmi Akinlabi that he consulted him (Adeleke) before he declared for the race and that it would not be fair for the former governor to also enter the race, Adeleke said it was true that he was consulted.
He however added that as at the time he was consulted, he had not made up his mind to run.
Another aspirant, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who was also at the secretariat to drop his nomination form, criticised the performance of the current Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.
Omisore described Aregbesola as governor who came through the back door, and that he joined the race to restore the dignity of Osun state.
He explained that with the alleged lack-luster performance of Aregbesola, it had become obvious that All Progressives Congress had nothing to offer.
Omisore said that the inability of the Aregbesola administration to commission any project almost four years in office was a classical case of a failed government.