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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has called on the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the August 15 governorship election, Bola Oyebamiji, to work together in the interest of the state following the outcome of the poll.
Bamidele, who is also chairman of the National Assembly South-West Caucus, said the election had demonstrated the supremacy of the people in a democracy, urging all the candidates to accept the outcome and join hands to promote peace, stability and inclusive governance in the state.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, was declared winner after polling 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salam, came third with 17,180 votes.
In a statement yesterday, Bamidele said the 51.57 percent voter turnout recorded in the election reflected growing confidence in the democratic process and reinforced the fact that the people remained the ultimate arbiters in a democracy.
“Now that the people of Osun State have spoken, all contestants must accept and respect the decision of the majority. In a democracy, globally, the decision of the majority is not only legitimate and supreme, but also remains the final choice that will define public governance within the timeframe that the constitution prescribes for a government,” he stated.
He said Adeleke’s victory also came with the responsibility of rebuilding the state across political divides, stressing that governance should transcend partisan interests.
According to him, “Governor Adeleke must look beyond the political platform that nominated him for the contest and extend his hands of fellowship to other candidates and political parties with a view to building a resilient state that functions in the interest of all people regardless of their leanings.”
The Senate Leader also urged Oyebamiji to congratulate Adeleke and offer constructive ideas that could help improve governance in the state.
He said the APC candidate should contact the governor-elect and “constructively share with him innovative policy ideas that can help him serve the interests of our people much better.”
He argued that the APC should not regard the outcome as an outright defeat, noting Adeleke’s political history and his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
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“For me, the APC did not lose the election given the background that Governor Adeleke was coming from as a member of the APC before he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Aside from that, he has always been committed to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
He added that the Osun election should serve as a strategic lesson for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly in the South-West.
He said the 51.57 percent turnout presented an opportunity for the party to strengthen its mobilisation strategy, with a target of achieving at least 60 percent voter turnout across the South-West and mobilising 10 million votes for President Tinubu in the region in 2027.
Bamidele also called for a review of the APC’s campaign strategy, urging the party to deepen engagement with artisans, traders, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths, women, labour unions, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, community leaders and the private sector.
He said such engagement should focus on communicating the achievements of the Tinubu administration, particularly its economic reforms, efforts to address fiscal challenges, security initiatives and measures aimed at creating long-term prosperity.
He congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as the successful conduct of the Osun election, saying the outcome was a clear reflection of the will of the electorate.
“To Governor Adeleke, your re-election reaffirms the supremacy of the people in a democracy and this comes with a huge responsibility that demands a collective approach,” he said.
He also commended the APC and its candidate for their campaign, saying the outcome did not make them losers but “true stakeholders in the progress and posterity of Osun State.”
He expressed optimism that the election would usher in a new phase of development for the state economically, socially and technologically.
