Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has defended his well-known passion for dancing, insisting that it has never interfered with his responsibilities as governor. The governor addressed the Adeleke dancing controversy while appearing at the Arise Town Hall for Osun governorship candidates ahead of Saturday’s election.
Adeleke was responding to a question about whether his frequent public dancing had affected the performance of his administration. The governor said he could combine recreation with his official responsibilities, maintaining that dancing did not prevent him from giving serious attention to governance.
“We are jolly good fellows and I will tell you, nobody can stop me from dancing. As I’m dancing, I’m working,” Adeleke said.
He explained that his public personality should not be confused with his approach to official duties. According to him, his conduct changes when he is dealing with matters of governance, stressing that there should be a balance between work and recreation.
“You need to see me when I am working. I can dance with you now, when you come to my office, I’m a very serious and prudent person.” Adeleke added that different situations required different approaches.
“There’s time for everything, there’s time to dance, there’s time to work,” he said.
The governor also suggested that some of the criticism directed at his dancing was motivated by jealousy among members of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Adeleke joked that his political opponents might simply be unhappy because they could not match his dancing ability.
“So, they are jealous because they don’t know how to dance. If they want, I will teach them how to dance, but that does not stop me from my work,” he said.
The comments come as Adeleke campaigns for another term in office, with the Osun governorship election approaching.
The governor also criticised his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, while discussing the political contest in the state. Adeleke claimed that Oyetola had continued to struggle with the outcome of the previous election.
“Gboyega Oyetola is still suffering from the pain of defeat because he is a cousin to Mr President. He has caused a lot of problems in Osun State,” Adeleke said.
The governor maintained that his dancing should be viewed simply as a personal interest rather than a reflection of his commitment to public office. Reiterating his position, Adeleke said the hobby had no negative effect on his responsibilities or administration.
“Dancing is a hobby; it does not disturb or affect my work,” he said.
