Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun, says one of the appointees of Bisi Akande, his predecessor, confessed that state funds were used for the latter’s 2003 governorship election campaign.
Akande was the governor of Osun between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD).
He, however, lost the 2003 governorship election to Oyinlola, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking about events that occurred after his tenure, Akande, in his new book titled ‘My Participations’, said his successor accused him of mismanaging state funds.
The former Osun governor said Oyinlola arrested two of his commissioners, adding that the arrested appointees were told by the police to implicate him in their statements.
“That was what ended the case of my alleged stealing in Osun State. No one ever wrote any petition against me to the EFCC, ICPC or the police for any fraud or wrongdoing during my term of office,” Akande wrote.
“It was Oyinlola that was exhuming fake complaints and evidence from files merely to witch-hunt me. I never gave or demanded bribe from anyone all my life. All of us who served in my government, all my commissioners and others, came out the way we went in.
“No one was richer and not a single one of my political appointees was indicted after we left office despite that an opposition party came to power after us.”
Reacting to Akande’s claim, Oyinlola, in a statement on Thursday, said he did not level any false charges against his predecessor.
“Chief Akande said I wrongly accused him of corruption in the construction of the Governor’s Office (Bola Ige House). I did not level any false charges against him,” the statement reads.
“I came into office in May 2003 and discovered that the Governor’s Office complex which Akande commissioned for use after he lost the election was really not completed.
“The state government asked the contractor to come back to site and complete the works, more so when evidence in government accounts showed that he had been paid. But the project consultant shocked everyone with his claim that part of the payment was taken back to finance the 2003 re-election bid of Chief Akande.
“The consultant said the contractor could not go back to work unless he was paid his full dues. One of Akande’s own appointees confessed collecting money from this contractor for Akande’s re-election.
“I consulted Chief Akande on this. He denied having any deal with the contractor and the consultant. Some people were subsequently taken to court on a seven-count criminal charge.
“Stakeholders in the state and Alhaji Arisekola Alao later intervened. I have the details of who collected how much in my forthcoming book.”
‘OSUN 2003 ELECTION WASN’T RIGGED IN MY FAVOUR’
Speaking on Akande’s claim that the 2003 governorship election in Osun was rigged, Oyinlola listed the factors he felt led to Akande’s defeat.
“Chief Akande said the 2003 governorship election in Osun State was rigged in my favour. Chief Akande has repeatedly told this lie,” Oyinlola said.
“The truth is known to everybody in the state that Akande lost the state shortly after he took over in 1999 and started fighting everyone in the state.”
Source: Top Stories
