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The Senator representing Osun West senatorial district in the National Assembly, Adelere Oriolowo, has denied giving the immediate past governor of Osun State, Engr. Rauf Aregbesola the sum of N2 billion to unseat Governor Gboyega Oyetola in 2022.
There has been news making the rounds that the lawmaker wants to succeed Oyetola as governor of Osun State. Oyetola will complete his first term in office in November 2022, and there has been report that the governor will seek a second term in office.
But Oriolowo, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) like Oyetola, in an interview with The Punch, denied plotting with Aregbesola or anybody to succeed the governor.
He said: I also heard the rumour but it is not true. I am appealing to both of them (Aregbesola and Oyetola) to see the rumour as a blatant lie. I can also confirm that none of us in the National Assembly is interested in contesting the 2022 governorship election in Osun State. Anybody saying such things wanted to destroy the party. Anybody with the evidence should come out in the open to challenge me on this. As I am sitting here now, I don’t even have N2 million in any bank, not to talk of N2 billion. If I have N2 billion, I will use it to help my people without contesting any election.”
Oriolowo also said he will support the presidential bid of former Lagos State governor and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, describing it as a “Nigerian agenda.”
“The plan to support Asiwaju Tinubu to be president in 2023 is a Nigerian agenda. It is not limited to the South West geopolitical zone alone. I will support Asiwaju with everything I have. He is someone who could bail Nigeria out of its present predicament as a nation. The progressive development we are experiencing in Lagos started with Asiwaju. He laid its foundation and built it to an enviable height before he left as governor while his successors have been building on his achievements. Let some people say whatever they like, there are credentials on the ground that could testify to Asiwaju Tinubu’s ability to lead this nation effectively,” the Senator said.