The Adeleke family has described Governor Rauf Aregbesola's outburst against billionaire Deji Adeleke, singer Davido's father, as appalling.
Aregbesola had said the business mogul may be suffering from a mental problem due to the death of his elder brother, Isiaka Adeleke.
The Governor stated this at a campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress in Ede ahead of the Osun-West senatorial district by-election holding on Saturday, July 8.
He was reacting to an allegation that he owed the business mogul some money.
The Governor said it was, in fact, the Adelekes who have been collecting money from him (Aregbesola).
He said, "Deji Adeleke is a businessman, he is not a politician but it is like his brother's death has run him mad. (O dabi pe iku egbon e ti da lori ru). It is a lie that I borrowed money from Deji.
"It is to the glory of God that they got the Certificate of Occupancy of their university from our government. Why didn’t those who are their new friends give them the C-of-O of that university? If Deji Adeleke had so much money, why did he beg me to waive the payable tax of his university? Why couldn’t he just pay?
"I am bold enough to say this over and over again because I have never sought assistance from any member of the Adeleke family, even during the lifetime of Senator Isiaka Adeleke. Nothing of such occurred."
In reaction to the Governor's statement, the Adeleke family, in a press release issued in Ede on Wednesday, July 5, said Aregbesola's utterances were dishonourable.
The statement reads, "What’s more appalling is Aregbesola's outburst – as widely quoted in major newspapers, that Senator Isiaka Adeleke’s sudden death ‘has affected the psyche’ of Dr Deji Adeleke. How? One may want to ask: If Aregbesola has a giant, a towering personality and eminent person like the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke in his family, and he lost such a distinguished personality to the cold hands of death, will he take to the streets and dance merrily?
"Why should Ogbeni Aregbesola carry politics to this ridiculous end and act like a tin god, who will never leave the office as governor and this transient world as a human being? To those of us living, inclusive of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, we don’t know how we will end up. Senator Isiaka Adeleke died gloriously. The whole world celebrated his death.
"What is the sin of the Adeleke family in putting one of their own forward to contest the Osun-West senatorial by-election, if that is what is giving Ogbeni Aregbesola some concern.
"If Aregbesola is talking of a contentious Certificate of Occupancy, is he the one that provided the billions of naira that put Adeleke University up as the 'Harvard' of Nigeria?"
Since the death of Isiaka Adeleke, who was a serving senator, there has been animosity between the family and the Aregbesola administration.
The family believed that their son was murdered but a coroner inquest set up by the Osun government ruled that the politician died of drug overdose and not poison.
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