The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, has told Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to prepare for defeat in Saturday’s governorship election, saying his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu would not save his administration.

Oyetola spoke on Saturday while addressing All Progressives Congress stakeholders and supporters in Osun State.

The former governor, who lost his re-election bid to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election, was responding to allegations by the governor that APC members and leaders of the Accord Party were being intimidated ahead of the August 15 poll.

Speaking in Yoruba, Oyetola said Adeleke’s complaints were an indication that the governor had realised he was losing his grip on the state.

He said Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu would not prevent the APC from reclaiming the governorship seat.

Oyetola said, “They realised that they are already losing out. Then they claimed to have endorsed us. He almost cried. Endorsement cannot retain this seat for you. We are taking it over.

“If you like, make 10 endorsements, we will collect this one from you.”

The minister also dismissed Adeleke’s repeated references to him, saying he had deliberately avoided engaging the governor in public exchanges.

He said, “If he sleeps and has nightmares, he will say he saw me. If his wife gave him food late, he would say I’m responsible for that.

“My name is so sweet in his mouth. Meanwhile, we are not even interested in his case. If we get interested in his case, he will feel it.”

Adeleke is seeking re-election in Saturday’s poll on the platform of the Accord Party and will face the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, alongside other candidates.

The election has largely been framed as a close contest between Adeleke and Oyebamiji, with both camps intensifying their campaigns ahead of the poll.

The political atmosphere in Osun has also been tense, with the two major camps trading allegations over violence, intimidation and the arrest of their supporters.

Adeleke and his campaign team have repeatedly accused the Oyetola-led APC of intimidating Accord Party members, following reported arrests and raids on the homes of some party leaders and senior government officials.

The APC has rejected the allegations and continued to campaign on its promise to reclaim the state after losing it to Adeleke in 2022.

Oyetola, who governed Osun from 2018 to 2022, was defeated by Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election after a closely contested poll.

With the 2026 election now days away, the former rivals are again on opposite sides of the contest, with Oyetola backing the APC’s Oyebamiji in its bid to return the party to power in the state.