Oyinlola Denies Adeleke’s Car Gift Claim: “Osun Govt Gave Me the Car, Not You”

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola

Oyinlola Denies Adeleke’s Car Gift Claim: “Osun Govt Gave Me the Car, Not You”

Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has dismissed Governor Ademola Adeleke’s claim that he received a vehicle from him before endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the August 15 election. Oyinlola said the claim was false, maintaining that the vehicle was provided by the Osun State Government as part of benefits legally approved for former governors. The former governor made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today while reacting to Adeleke’s assertion that he gave him a car, describing the governor’s claim as untrue and expressing disappointment at what he called a misrepresentation of facts. “That is far from the truth and it is a bad development that a governor will continue to tell lies,” Oyinlola said, emphasizing that the vehicle was not a personal gift but a statutory entitlement.

Explaining his position, Oyinlola said a law enacted by the Osun State House of Assembly provides certain entitlements for former governors, including the replacement of official vehicles every four years. He maintained that the vehicle in question was issued under that legal provision and should not be regarded as a personal gift from the governor. “It wasn’t Ademola that gave me vehicle. It was the Osun State Government; it is a law of the state enacted by the House of Assembly,” he said, clarifying that the vehicle was provided through the state’s official channels and not through the governor’s personal resources. This explanation underscores the former governor’s insistence that Adeleke’s claim misrepresents the nature of the transaction and the legal framework governing benefits for former governors in Osun State.

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Oyinlola further noted that having left office 16 years ago, he remained entitled to several vehicle replacements that accrued during that period. He explained that the law provides for the replacement of official vehicles allocated to former governors every four years, and having been out of office for 16 years, he argued that he was still entitled to three more vehicles under the provision. “I’ve been out of Osun State government since the last 16 years. If you aggregate it, it means the state is still having to give up three vehicles,” he stated, suggesting that the vehicle he received was just one of several to which he is legally entitled. The former governor also said the legislation covers other benefits available to former occupants of the office, including security arrangements and support staff, such as police personnel, cooks, and drivers, all of which are part of the statutory benefits package for former governors under the law.

The former governor rejected Adeleke’s suggestion that he had approached him because he could not afford or did not own a vehicle. “By the grace of God, I had started buying cars since I was 21. When I was going to the Government House, I went with my entire convoy. So, how will he paint it as if I went to beg? It is a very sad development. He should say it the way it is, and that it is a law, it is my entitlement and he still owes me three more vehicles,” he said, challenging the governor to present the facts accurately rather than misrepresenting the situation. Oyinlola’s response reflects his frustration with what he perceives as an attempt to diminish his standing by suggesting he was dependent on the governor’s goodwill for a vehicle.

The vehicle controversy has emerged amid a broader political disagreement between the two figures ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, in which Adeleke is seeking re-election. Oyinlola, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently endorsed the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, a decision that has further strained his relationship with Adeleke. Explaining his decision, Oyinlola cited Adeleke’s decision to defect from the PDP to Accord without consultation and what he described as the concentration of major government projects in Adeleke’s hometown of Ede, among other concerns. He revealed that he had held discussions with Adeleke and his brother on four alternative political platforms amid the crisis within the PDP, with Oyinlola advocating for Accord. However, he said he was surprised to learn through social media that Adeleke had resigned from the PDP and joined Accord without further consultation, a move that Oyinlola described as dismissive and disrespectful. These political tensions have now spilled over into public view, with the vehicle claim becoming a point of contention between the two political figures.