The convergence of about 16 states governors and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, 24 hours to the governorship elections, against the electoral act, ignited fear of a zero chance for the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke to realise his second term dream at the poll.
Also, the intimidating presence of security operatives including commissioners of police from about 20 commands of the federation, made it more chocking and practically unrealistic for any optimist that Adeleke and his supporters would be allowed to breathe on August 15.
The show of force was quite fierce such that politics analysts were speculating not only electorate apathy and unprecedentedly low turnout on Saturday but also likely re-enactment of the defunct Western Region operation wetie in 1965, the fire of 1983 and the 1993 June 12 impasse.
The much-expected Accord Party Mega rally for which extensive preparations had been made and customised clothes sown by members, had to be called off for security reason.
Yet, Adeleke, who had few days earlier at the Arise News Debate, declared himself a bulldozer, remained calm and confident of the people’s faith in him. While the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors went to Ile-Ife to win former Deputy Governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore’s heart, Adeleke betrayed no emotion. He was positive. He went out to the Polling Unit 9 in his Ward 2 Ede, cast his vote, smiled to watching camera lens and returned home with words of caution to his supporters to remain civil and unprovoked but vigilant against vote malpractice in any guise.
Before the day closed eyes, there were strong indications across 30 local government councils that the governor’s winning his second term with a wider margin was a matter of hours. Still, he maintained his calmness even amidst early ovation of the incoming victory.
After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) completed the upload of results, on Sunday, its Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole formally announced that Adeleke had recorded 511,067 votes against his close rival Bola Oyebamiji of the APC’s 444,815 while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam scored 17,180 votes. In other words, Adeleke won 19 local government councils while Oyebamiji won nine.
TheTabloid.net gathered that President Bola Tinubu did not even wait for the INEC to break the news before he picked his phone and congratulated Adeleke, going by the intelligence reports on his table in the nation’s capital in Abuja. This call from the Presidency gladdened the heart of the governor who, in return, expressed his gratitude to him for what he called his unbiased role in the electoral exercise.
In the midst of the celebration on Sunday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo emerged at Adeleke’s country home in Ede where he was received with dance by his jubilant host.
Ushered into the house by Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi and accompanied by Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, Obasanjo prayed for further successes of the governor and urged him to continue on the path of good governance and delivery of dividends of democracy. “Continue to deliver good governance. Continue to meet the needs of your people”, Obasanjo charged the governor.
Adeleke, who was moved by the ex-president’s visit expressed his gratitude to God and the people and promised to continue to be a loyal servant of Osun people
“Baba, I thank you for this surprise visit. I promise never to disappoint God, Osun people and all lovers of democracy who made our victory possible,” he said.
Other political leaders from different states of the federation have since turned Adeleke to a beautiful bride, one after the other, sending their respective complimentary words to him.
Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum and Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun congratulated Adeleke and described his re-election as a true reflection of the choice of the people of the state.
On Monday, Osun State Civil Servants and Pensioners, in their large number, were all over the moon, receiving the governor into the Government Secretariat with songs and dance.
Introspectively, Adeleke’s victory though energy-sapping was a done deal long before the day of the ballot. Aside his commendably verifiable profile of performances in his outgoing tenure, the APC paradoxically worked for his win through the unresolved infighting within the party.
In the issue published on August 15, the election day, TheTabloid.net reported that some members of the APC seemed to have made up their mind to play devil against their candidate without leaving the party.
The bone of contention, it was learnt, was how Oyebamiji was allegedly forced down the throat of other aspirants who are said to have been more popular with superior electoral value of which Oyebamiji and his promoter, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola are both deficient.
Since the president appointed him Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Oyetola was alleged to have disconnected with the party until the primaries when he pushed out former Deputy Governor, Otunba Iyiola Omisore and other aspirants out of the governorship race.
Consequently, the bloc, votes which the party could have reaped in Ife Federal Constituency of the aggrieved Omisore, were gifted Adeleke by supporters of Omisore who had some months ago defected to the Accord and unapologetically turned a clog in the wheel of their former party.
Senator, representing Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Francis Fadahunsi and Honourable representing Obokun/Oriade Constituency, Honourable Wole Oke’s provocative outbursts, against the governing party and electorate, are said to have set their APC up for voters rejection; the duo’s spoiler role was compounded by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo’s embarrasing statement which tended to undermine Adeleke as the executive governor of a state and flag-bearer of a party.
The Edo State governor’s unguarded words were also complicated by similar words spilled by a woman fanatical supporter of the APC, Alhaja Falilat Ero Arike who woke up each day and cursed and boasted that her party would chase Adeleke out of the Government House.
All the above show of force brought out the best in the electorate determination and resilience which made them to stand by their votes and confront ballot box snatchers at some polling units, especially in the Polyrechnic town of Iree, hometown of the late Minister of Interior Chief Sunday Afolabi.
Adeleke’s nephew, the Afrobeat sensation, Davido’s active role during campaign and his report of the APC’s allegedly planned rigging of the elections to the US President Donald Trump and international community, was said to have weakened the strength of the opposition to go ahead with their plot to overpower his uncle, using the so-called federal muscle.
Davido’s letter to the US President read in part: “President Donald Trump, I am calling your attention to the situation in Osun State, Nigeria, as we approach the election. There are growing concerns about tension and possibility of violence, intimidation or disruption of the democratic process. Osun people deserve to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely, peacefully without fear.
“I appeal to the United States and the international community to pay close attention to the election and encourage all relevant authorities to ensure that every voter is protected and every vote is respected. We do not want bloodshed. We do not want intimidation. We want peace,transparency and a free and fair election.”
Adeleke’s performance at the public debate, put together by the Arise News in Osogbo few days to the election, gave a clue of the victory ahead of him. He exuded an infectious confidence which contrasted his showing in a similar platform, before the July 2022 governorship poll where, he reportedly struggled to articulate his manifestoes before the cameras.
Tinubu’s statement of assurance when he directed the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to stop action against the state government frozen account to some extent contributed to the result recorded given the past use of might by the federal government in states of interest.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyeson Wike, in his review of the election, even asserted that if Tinubu was determined to snatch Osun State from Adeleke he would have assigned him to be in Osogbo to do the hatchet job. Wike’s soul mate, former Ekiti State Governor Mr Ayo Fayose amplified it that Tinubu could have successfully intervened in the Osun election.
Perhaps, Adeleke understood this language of federal power, hence his renewed allegiance to the president on his second term bid in January 2027.
At the Press Conference he hosted shortly after the INEC had declared him the winner, the governor said, “Mr President is a son of Osun State, and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 Presidential election.”
Former Ambassador to Republic of Phillippine, Dr Yemi Farounbi, however, awards no credit to Tinubu over Adeleke’s success; the Osun State-born media icon instead painted the president in a picture of a betrayal who was all out to suck Adeleke’s blood but met a brickwall in incorruptible electorate who took Tinubu APC’s money but voted for Adeleke, according to Farounbi, signalling “the end of stomach infrastructure concept.”
A respected Public Affairs Analyst, Mr Richard Akinnola also sees no wisdom in Adeleke’s post-election endorsement of the president, almost describing him as an opportunist and frontally accusing him of insensitivity to his supporters killed before the elections.
Even though Akinnola holds no grudge against Adeleke’s victory dance and his extending of olive branch to the opposition, including his support for the president re-election, he opined that the governor has put “the cart before the horse” in an election which shook the peace of the state few days to the exercise.
“Is that what you should be saying now in an election where about 30 people were killed in pre-election violence; where your SSG was arrested, where your Speaker was harassed and allegedly locked in on election day and a Senator directing his supporters to delete your members? Were you not the same person shouting yourself hoarse in exasperation, calling on the president and the IGP over what you considered as assault on your supporters?”, he quried.
The fiery Judiciary journalist said he had expected Adeleke to have asked the police to investigate the violent attacks and killings of his supporters to commiserate with bereaved families in particular. That action, he maintained, should have been his priority to show appreciation to the electorate who defended their votes in face of intimidation and threat.
Nothwithstanding the critics argument, the governor on Wednesday went to the INEC in Osogbo and received his Certificate of Return, after which he said he had forgiven members of the opposition who had wished him evil and actually plotted his downfall before and during the election, saying God has fought his battles.
He announced a N500m education scholarship for victims of political violence and commended the electoral body for acting professionally and within the dictates of the electoral act.
“I commend the electoral commission for doing a good job. You stood for democracy. I commend the security agencies, especially the Commissioner of Police for Election, the DSS. I would have loved the police to do more but we thank God the election day went violent free”, he submitted.
The INEC National Commissioner for Osun election, Prof Kunle Ajayi in his address commended the passion, the commitment and the activism of Osun voters whom he said defied electoral violence and trooped out to exercise their voting rights.
The governor later visited the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal and a party leader, Senator Wole Alabi and presented his certificate of returns for their blessings.
Adeleke’s smiles to the president yielded fruit when on Thursday Tinubu hosted him in the Presidential Villa in Abuja and urged his guest to put intrigues of the election behind him and reconcile with the opposition in the interest of the state.
To the governor, the president said, “It is very, very important for you to make history, promote unity, peace and stability. Don’t stigmatise any of your opponents. You didn’t conquer anybody, you won an election. That is the essence of democracy.”
In the governor’s team were Speaker, the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon Adewale Egbedun, Director-General of the Imole Campaign Council, Senator Lere Oyewumi, Director, Media and Publicity of the council, Hon. Bamidele Salam, Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, Spokesperson of the Imole Campaign Council, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi and Osun State Chairman of the embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Sunday Bisi.
After the visit, Adeleke told waiting journalists: “I am here to thank Mr President, the father of the nation, because he fought for this democracy. That is why he allowed free and fair election, and that is the result.”
How his historic visit and the APC’s plan to drag him to the election tribunal to challenge his victory would go together remains a drama to which the people shall be treated in the coming months. But sign that the two parties might no longer put on the gloves emerged after Oyebamiji returned from his Friday visit to the Villa where the president saluted his performance and urged him to work for unity in the state.
Oyebamiji did promise to take the advice and Adeleke commended him, reiterating his natural love for peace and peaceful co-existence.
He remarked, “It is heartwarming that my brother, Oyebamiji, is also preaching peace. I assure him that my supporters have not and will not attack APC members.
“Elections have come and gone and we are all winners. The common task for us all is to sustain delivery of democratic dividends and good governance to the good people of Osun state.
“I welcome Mr Gboyega Oyetola, Bola Oyebamiji and other opposition leaders to join hands with me to take Osun to greater heights. We are all important stakeholders in this Osun project.”
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