Osun Gov, Oyetola, begs Buhari to save him

• Pledges total loyalty to the president

There are emerging indications that travails of Senator Ademola Adeleke, the ‘governor-elect’ in the 2018 governorship election in Osun State, may not be unconnected to the use of the federal might to emasculate the Senator towards protecting the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in that election, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, whose victory was out rightly overturned by the Governorship election Tribunal in Osun State. A presidency source disclosed to National Daily that the embattled Osun Governor currently at the Court of Appeal to save his job, allegedly begged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and him in the power tussle he has with Senator Adeleke over the governorship seat.

The Osun governor was said to have persuaded the President that his intervention and support would be in the interest of the ruling APC, saying that the party will lose states under its control of Osun goes to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  Our source said that the governor’s advisers have studied the case and realized that the governor does not have good case against Senator Adeleke; thereby, advised on soliciting the support of the president to intervene through the use of executive powers.

ALSO READ: Amosun fingers Tinubu in governorship election panel dismissal

Senator Adeleke is being prosecuted by the Police over certificate scandal after an Appeal Court had declared the senator qualified to contest governorship election. The prosecution has been generating controversies from notable stakeholders in the polity.

Meanwhile, Governor Oyetola while still in office remains perturbed over the unknown over the suit at the Appeal Court. The fear of uncertainty was alleged to have put the Osun governor under pressure to seek help through the use of political powers from above to devastate his opponent, Senator Adeleke, for his own survival while the court proceedings continue. The belief, according to our source, is that getting Adeleke out of the way may weaken the PDP while the APC could take advantage of the vacuum to upturn the case.

APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and former Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, were mobilized to prevail on the president to save Governor Oyetola in the legal tussle with Adeleke. The Osun governor subsequently, pledged his total loyalty to the president.

The President was, however, said to be playing with caution, particularly, when the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is being suspected to be playing a relatively different game in the party. Governor Oyetola conceived to be sponsored by Tinubu is also generating some mutual distrust in the presidency.