Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the All Progressives Congress of allegedly planning to manipulate the August 15 governorship election, saying a recent comment by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, amounted to an “open threat” to the credibility of the poll.

Adeleke made the allegation in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, and obtained by our correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday.

The governor was reacting to comments made by Oyetola on Saturday while addressing APC stakeholders and supporters in Osun State.

The former governor, who lost his bid for a second term to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election, had warned Adeleke to brace for defeat in the August 15 poll, insisting that the governor’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu would not prevent the APC from reclaiming the state.

Oyetola was responding to Adeleke’s earlier allegations that APC members and leaders of the Accord Party were being intimidated ahead of the election.

Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola said Adeleke’s complaints indicated that the governor was already losing control of the state.

He said Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu would not stop the APC from taking over the governorship seat.

Oyetola said, “They realised that they are already losing out. Then they claimed to have endorsed us. He almost cried. Endorsement cannot retain this seat for you. We are taking it over.

“If you like, make 10 endorsements, we will collect this one from you.”

Adeleke interpreted the statement as a warning that the APC intended to interfere with the electoral process and urged advocates of democracy to pay attention to the development.

The governor also vowed that Osun voters would resist any attempt to manipulate the election, while demanding a transparent and credible poll.

According to Adeleke’s statement, Oyetola had also criticised his decision to endorse Tinubu for another term in 2027, using the Yoruba expression, “A maa gba lowo e,” meaning “we will snatch it from him.”

Adeleke argued that his endorsement of Tinubu demonstrated his political strength and his capacity to deliver votes from Osun to the President in the 2027 election.

He further accused Oyetola of undermining Tinubu’s political standing and weakening the APC’s popularity across the state.

Adeleke said, “Oyetola’s anti-people, anti-democracy activities are tarnishing the image of Mr President and deepening the unpopularity of Osun APC among voters and residents.

“A serving minister of the Republic had made an open threat against a free and fair election. The minister has personally confirmed all previous reports that Osun APC has lost the electoral confidence of the people and is therefore focused only on rigging next Saturday.

“The minister has made a mockery of innocent Accord members who were killed and maimed by APC thugs in cold blood in the last two months. He has told the world that he is pushing to deny the people their rights to vote and be voted for.

“The bad news for the minister is that Osun people are determined to resist his sadistic agenda. Our people rejected him in 2022, and they will reject his surrogate candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, next Saturday.

“As for us, we are winning this election by the grace of God and mass support of the people. We are not going to snatch the democratic rights of the people as Mr Oyetola had threatened. We will be re-elected by the choice of the voters.”