Governor Aregebesola has opened up on why Osun State did not give a befitting funeral after the controversial death of the
first civilian governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.
Former Osun State Governor, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke
Ede, a community in Osun state, has been on the boil since the controversial death of the
first civilian governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, following suspicion that he was poisoned by political opponents, eager to eliminate him from
contesting the next gubernatorial election of the state for which he had begun to campaign.
His constituents felt robbed, as he was favoured to clinch his party’s ticket and win the poll, as a major political force and votes swinger, particularly in Osun West Senatorial District, expected to produce the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s successor.
While speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, Senator Adeleke’s multi billionaire brother, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, regretted the orgy of violence and protests
that greeted the late politician’s passage, saying they did little honour to the memory of his beloved brother, whom he described as a man of peace.
He said while the grief of the masses and his fans was understandable, it was preposterous and unjustified to base it on rumour and unfounded political insinuations.
“We’ve done the autopsy; the result is yet to be out. The pathologist has given us a week
or two within which it will be out.
Let people not make assumptions, jump to conclusions or accuse anybody without
proof. We’re not doing the memory of the departed, who was a man who loved peace,
any honour by being violent.
“That’s why I appealed to them this morning to allow peace to reign. We just want to mourn our brother in peace. I loved my
brother so much; he was my hero, as he was theirs. We (the family) have been in pain. We cry, we’ve been crying day and night. When everybody (crowds of sympathizers) leaves we cry even more.
“He was a peaceful man. You wouldn’t find him going about causing trouble when he
was alive.”
Governor Aregebesola’s spokesman, Semiu Okanlawon, said the unruly behaviour of the
mob had denied the late Adeleke of a state burial befitting him as a former governor of the state.
Okanlawon, who denied any political rift between his boss and Adeleke as being speculated, said despite the short notice of
the funeral being an Islamic one, the state government had prepared to dignify it as a
state burial in view of Adeleke’s status as an ex-governor.
“The Deputy Governor was leading a government delegation to the funeral, they were already on their way, when the report
of violence came…We don’t think that would be the best way to honour Senator Adeleke,
who was known to be a man of peace.”
On Governor Aregbesola’s opposition to Adeleke’s come-back bid, Okanlawon said:
“The tribute of the governor to the late Senator has taken care of it all. There was no rift whatsoever. It was an unfounded
rumour. As Governor Aregbesola said he worked for the governor’s reelection and the governor worked for his election into
the Senate in 2014.
“Yes, there would always be power blocs, but the fact is they were in the same party
and would always work for the interest of their party. In any case, he was entitled to vie for the governorship and Aregbesola is
not seeking reelection. So, how could there be friction?.”
