Osun Poll: APC, Adeleke Clash Over Religion

The All Progressives Congress deputy governorship candidate in the August 15 Osun State governorship election, Benjamin Adereti, and Governor Ademola Adeleke exchanged views on Sunday over religion as political campaigns gathered pace in the state.

The disagreement began in Osogbo during the 70th anniversary celebration of Union Baptist Church, where Adereti questioned Adeleke’s religious identity and defended the APC’s choice of a Muslim-Christian ticket. He said the party deliberately selected candidates from both major faiths to reflect religious balance and assured party supporters that the APC was confident of winning the governorship election.

Adereti also told members of the church that the APC was not using religion as a political tool but believed its ticket reflected fairness. He expressed confidence that voters across the state would support the party at the poll.

Governor Adeleke later responded while meeting with members of the Muslim community in Osogbo. Through a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor rejected the criticism and asked residents to judge leaders by their actions rather than public claims about religion.

Adeleke said his administration had undertaken projects that directly benefited the Muslim community. According to him, work on the state’s Hajj camp is close to completion, a project he said previous governments did not carry out despite having the opportunity.

The governor also stated that his administration had started the construction of a mosque within the Government House and maintained that Muslims occupy several important positions in his government. He added that appointments and government decisions under his administration have reflected fairness to members of the Muslim community.

Adeleke argued that his record in office should be used to assess his commitment instead of debates over personal religious identity. He maintained that his government had provided equal opportunities for Muslims and urged the public to judge leadership by performance and service rather than political accusations.

The exchange comes as political parties continue campaigns ahead of the Osun governorship election scheduled for August 15, with religion and governance becoming part of the issues raised by rival parties.