Senate Leader and Chairman of the National Assembly South-West Caucus, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has congratulated Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election, urging him to use his renewed mandate to promote unity, peace and inclusive governance across the state.
Bamidele made the call in a statement issued on Monday following the conclusion of the Osun governorship election, in which Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
Describing the electorate as the ultimate authority in a democracy, Bamidele said all contestants should accept and respect the outcome of the election and work towards ensuring stability and effective governance in the state.
According to him, Adeleke’s victory comes with a responsibility to reunite Osun residents across political divides and create an environment in which governance is focused on addressing the challenges confronting the people.
“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 said.
Bamidele stressed that while political parties compete for power, governance must be inclusive and should not exclude citizens because of their political affiliations.
He therefore urged Adeleke to extend a hand of fellowship to other candidates and political parties and adopt a broad-based approach to governance capable of strengthening peace, stability and development in Osun.
The Senate Leader also appealed to other candidates to sheathe their swords following the election and contribute ideas that could improve the quality of governance in the state.
Specifically, he called on the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to congratulate Adeleke and engage him constructively with policy ideas that could advance the interests of Osun residents.
“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, he has always been committed to the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,” Bamidele said.
He argued that the outcome of the election should also provide the APC with lessons ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly on the need for stronger internal cohesion, wider engagement and strategic collaboration with political stakeholders.
Bamidele said the reported 51.57 per cent voter turnout demonstrated the importance of sustained voter mobilisation and suggested that greater political engagement could produce even higher participation in future elections.
He identified improved coordination within the APC, stronger collaboration with political actors and a comprehensive review of campaign strategies as key priorities ahead of 2027.
According to him, the party must broaden its engagement to include artisans, market traders, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths, women, labour unions, civil society organisations, community leaders, traditional rulers, business leaders, the private sector and other groups.
He said such engagement should be used to communicate what he described as the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, including efforts to reposition Nigeria for global competitiveness, address fiscal challenges, confront insecurity and strengthen confidence in democratic institutions.
Bamidele also congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the conduct of the Osun election, describing the process and its outcome as a reflection of the will of the electorate.
To Adeleke, he said the re-election affirmed the supremacy of the people but also imposed a significant responsibility on the governor to govern inclusively and pursue policies capable of improving the state’s economic, social and technological prospects.
He said the APC and its candidate had competed with courage and vigour but must now regard themselves not as outsiders to governance but as stakeholders in Osun’s progress.
Bamidele expressed optimism that the election outcome would ultimately contribute to the development and advancement of the state.
