He’s not my friend! Adeleke disowns Rahmon Adedoyin after rumoured friendship

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adekele, has said he has no relationship with an Ile-Ife-born hotelier, Rahmon Adedoyin, who was recently sentenced to death for his role in the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University.

The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, defended his boss in a press statement posted on the government’s website on Monday, saying people peddling the rumour that Adelele was planning to pardon the criminal were political operatives.

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The government of Osun state has denied rumors on social media that it is plotting to subvert the judgement of death sentence on Dr Rahman Adedoyin, affirming that there is no plan to pardon the proprietor of the Oduduwa University.

Reacting to the growing rumour of possible state pardon for the businessman, Governor Adeleke was quoted as noting that his administration has never and will never intervene in the judicial process, labeling those behind the fake news as public enemies.

Those who concocted the fake news are evil minded political operatives who are merely grasping at straws in their desperation to blackmail the state Governor. Governor Adeleke has not and will never contemplate exercising the prerogative of mercy or whatever the report calls it, on a matter under adjudication which has generated deep interest among local and global communities.

It is important to clarify that neither the State Governor nor his political party has any hidden plot on the said murder case other than a public interest agenda to see culprits in the dastardly act face the full wrath of the law. That explains why no PDP member is involved as counsel for any of the convicted individuals and why the state judiciary enjoys and exercises its full independence in the hearing and jugdement of the case.

It is uncharitable for political enemies and their paid agents to attempt any linkage between the convicted businessman and the state Governor. We affirm with all sense of responsibility that Governor Adeleke is not at any material time a friend or partner of the owner of Oduduwa University and did not interfere, intervene or manifest any untoward agenda in the arraignment, hearing and sentencing of the accused.

We therefore urged the members of the public to ignore the repeated rumors of state pardon by Governor Adeleke for the convict and the watery push to link service records of a state judicial official to a popular verdict on the gruesome murder of a postgraduate student. Those peddling such lies are agents of darkness acting on behalf of disgruntled, dark political elements. They are better ignored.

We convey appreciation to men and women of goodwill who have put up spirited defense for the Governor in the face of this orchestrated falsehood. The undiluted truth is that neither the State government nor the state Governor is interested in the subversion of the wheel of justice.

Theeditorial.ng had reported how an Osun State high court found Adedoyin guilty of killing Adegoke, who had checked in to his hotel in Ile-Ife.