Osun 2023: Adeleke missing as candidates woo electorate at governorship debate

Four governorship candidates in the July 16 governorship election in Osun state faced one another in a televised debate on Wednesday, July 6, while speaking about their plans for the electorate if elected.

Telescope.ng reports that the candidates include Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC; Goke Omigbodu, Social Democratic Party (SDP); Akin Ogunbiyi (Accord); and Yusuf Lasun (Labour Party) participated in the debate.

The debate was organised by Arise Television.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke, was, however, absent at the event.

The organisers said Adeleke informed them he was “on his way,” but throughout the more than two hours the debate lasted, the PDP candidate did not arrive.

The debate

Governor Oyetola said his achievements since he assumed office should earn him a second term.

He said: “It is only when a candidate is not popular enough that he will be giving people money on Election Day. I am the candidate to beat anytime. My performance speaks for me and I don’t have sufficient time to go through it.

“Is it the food that has been given to the citizens of the state since April last year? Is it the health? Is it the support that I’m giving to the women with a micro-credit agency that has disbursed more than N4 billion? I have enough to be able to convince the people that I’m the best candidate for the job.”

Lasun, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, said as “a practical farmer,” he intends to return Osun’s lost glory through farming.

He said he has no money to buy votes but insisted that his good name and achievement as a lawmaker will speak for him.

The Accord Party candidate, Ogunbiyi, said he would create 100,000 jobs within his first six months in office, through agriculture and agro-allied industries.

He further said that he would leverage on federal government’s policy on artisanal miners to create jobs.

Omigbodun of the SDP said he would replicate Silicon Valley in the state to create jobs for the youth.

He said: “For me, through my manifesto, MAT, Mining, Agriculture and Technology, we will ensure job creation and expand the net of tax payers.”