“My mansion was standing before I became minister” – Adelabu fires back at corruption allegation

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has come out swinging against a viral report accusing him of erecting a palatial mansion within just two years in office.

The video, circulated by an online platform, claimed the minister was funding a lavish lifestyle through questionable means — pointing to what it called a “newly built” mansion as proof.

But Adelabu, through his media aide, Femi Awogboro, dismissed the allegation as “false, mischievous, and a calculated attempt to drag my name in the mud.”

According to him, the building in question was not the product of his ministerial days. “Construction began in November 2021 and was completed in August 2023, which was a month before I was appointed minister in September 2023,” he stated, backing his claim with dated photos, building approvals, and documents.

The minister, who says he’s a well-known investor in real estate, agriculture, and hospitality, explained that he has lived in the same location since 2010 when he first built the original structure during his banking career. The current mansion, he stressed, is simply a redevelopment carried out 12 years later to fit his political life.

“I began and completed this project before my appointment. I only moved in this year due to work schedules and timing constraints,” Adelabu said.

He also credited his investments with creating jobs in Ibadan and beyond, accusing the online platform of trying to discredit him and undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Adelabu has demanded a retraction or else, legal action looms.