Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has explained why he defeated Chief Bisi Akande in the 2003 elections.
Oyinlola, a former Military Administrator of Lagos, on Thursday, in his response made available to The Star, declared that nobody rigged Akande out of office.
He said Akande lost his re-election shortly after he came into office, stating that as sitting governor Akande fought everybody, every institution in Osun State.
He also put to question Akande’s integrity.
Akande had in his recently launched autobiography, My Participations, said he was rigged out of the 2003 governorship elections.
But Oyinlola said there was no truth in the claim, saying it is convenient for Akande to blame his defeat on everyone else apart from himself.
His words: “Chief Akande said the 2003 governorship election in Osun State was rigged in my favour. Chief Akande has repeatedly told this lie.
“The truth is known to everybody in the state that Akande lost the state shortly after he took over in 1999 and started fighting every one in the state. He sacked thousands of workers and did not pay their entitlements. In some instances, the retrenched persons included husband, wife and children.
“He owed those who were not sacked months of unpaid salaries which I inherited and paid. He deducted 20 per cent of workers’ salaries to fund his projects.
“He fought obas, chiefs and religious groups and leaders. He sacked the press from government activities, blocked the only access road to NTA Osogbo and locked the gate of the Government House against even press correspondents in the state.
“He had no word of succor for his victims. These were the ingredients that cooked his defeat in 2003.
“But it is convenient for him to blame his defeat on everyone else apart from himself. I defeated him comprehensively in all local governments in the state apart from his home council area. Again, the details are in my forthcoming book.”
The former governor revealed that President Olusegun Obasanjo preferred Akande had won his re-election in 2003.
“I noticed that Chief Akande repeatedly blamed President Olusegun Obasanjo for the steps I took which he didn’t like. Ironically, Chief Akande was President Obasanjo’s favorite and the president always said this to those of us in his party. The saying that came to my mind when I read Chief Akande’s attacks on Obasanjo is “Eni a fe l’a mo, a o mo eni to fe ni (We only know those we love, we do not know those who love us),” he said.
Speaking on the corruption allegations, particularly on the construction of the Bola Ige House, Oyinlola alleged that part of the N800 million contract money for the government house was used to finance the failed re-election bid of Akande.
According to him, “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.
“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 what.”
Oyinlola berated Akande for making full payment for the construction of a government house after he had lost a re-election.
“Chief Akande wrote on the Government House that he wanted to build on a site on Ilesa road in Osogbo which I stopped. I found it strange that Chief Akande who boasted that he was prudent and honest as governor, awarded the construction of a Government House in his last days in office, after he lost the election, and in advance, paid the contractors the entire contract sum of N800 million.
“Chief Akande confirmed this strange payment on page 393 of his book. This was a man who said there was no money to pay workers and pensioners but he had enough to pay a contractor in advance for a government house after losing his re-election.
“In any case, the state already had an ongoing Government House started by the military government which Akande refused to complete. I completed the project and added chalets plus a presidential lodge. Everything was completed and commissioned within my first year in office. The state has continued to use the structures till date. Akande, in his book, condemned my decision to opt for that project instead of his own idea. Further details on this are in my forthcoming book,” Oyinlola said.
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