Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun has cleared the air over the claim that he recently begged his Oyo counterpart, Seyi Makinde, privately in Abuja.
Adeleke dismissed the report and explained that he never begged Makinde when he led a delegation from Osun State to visit Makinde at the Oyo State Government House lodge in Abuja.
There was an unconfirmed report that the Osun governor visited Makinde over his interest in who becomes the next National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the PDP.
It was also claimed that the visit of Adeleke to Makinde was to solicit his support and endorsement for his (Adeleke’s) candidate to replace the late National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the party, Hon Soji Adagunodo.
However, a statement from Adeleke’s office on Monday, August 7, explained that the governor only visited Makinde to see the newly renovated Oyo State Government House as the Osun state government is embarking on a similar renovation of Osun Government House located within Asokoro.
Part of the statement read:
“Our attention has been drawn to a planted fake news about a purported private meeting between Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state.
“The concocted lies in the said story have no basis in truth as at no point did Governor Adeleke had any private talk with his Oyo state counterpart.
“Governor Adeleke had visited the Oyo state Governor’s lodge to see the newly renovated Oyo State Government House as Osun state government is embarking on similar renovation of Osun Government House located within Asokoro.
“It was also an opportunity for both leaders to review the state of the relationship and chart a path to strengthen the Peoples Democratic Party within the South West zone, including the issue of filling the vacancy existing within the party zonal leadership.
“The interactions were in the open, and at no point did the question of begging and prostration arose as there was nothing to plead and beg about. The venue was in the living room with a photo opportunity.
“In the presence of everybody, the two leaders resolved to unite for the party in the zone, hence the need to call an emergency zonal meeting to hold later this week.
“All insinuations about infighting either among Osun Government functionaries or otherwise are the handiwork of those profiting from the lack of substantive leadership for the party in the zone.
“There is no infighting within Governor Adeleke’s cabinet over the planned meeting nor any disagreement as to when and how to hold the zonal meeting.
“The two governors will surely feel embarrassed by the fake news as it was targeted at truncating genuine efforts to relaunch the party with a new leadership after recent happenings.”
