Adeleke Defends Dancing, Says Hobby Has Not Affected Performance as He Seeks Second Term

 

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has defended his penchant for dancing, insisting that the hobby has never interfered with his responsibilities or performance as governor. Adeleke made the remarks on Tuesday during a town hall meeting organised by Arise TV for candidates participating in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

The governor, who described himself as a “prudent worker,” said dancing was an expression of his personality and a hobby he had enjoyed long before becoming governor. He maintained that there was a time for work and a time for recreation, stressing that his public displays of dancing had not prevented his administration from executing projects across various sectors of the state. “As I am dancing, I am working. There is time for everything, there is time to dance, and there is time to work,” Adeleke said.

His comments come amid criticism from Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who recently mocked Adeleke at an All Progressives Congress campaign rally in Osun State and urged voters to reject what he described as the “dancing governor.” Responding to his critics, Adeleke said those who were offended by his dancing should learn the skill themselves. “If they can’t dance, I can teach them how to dance,” he said, adding that his people appreciated his personality and that dancing remained strictly a hobby.

Adeleke also used the opportunity to highlight some of the achievements of his administration. He said his government had constructed and rehabilitated roads across the state, with solar-powered streetlights installed on some of the roads to improve security and support economic activities. He further disclosed that more than 200 primary healthcare facilities had been upgraded and rehabilitated, with the facilities equipped with electricity and clean water. According to him, qualified engineers had certified the projects executed by his administration as meeting international standards.

Adeleke is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, under which he won the 2022 governorship election. He faces competition from the All Progressives Congress candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, and other contenders in the August 15 poll.