The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Prince Laja Adeoye, has described Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election as evidence that voters can determine electoral outcomes despite political pressure and the influence of powerful interests.
Adeoye, in a statement issued on Sunday, congratulated Adeleke on securing another term and said the result demonstrated the importance of allowing citizens to freely exercise their franchise.
According to him, the outcome should serve as a warning to political actors that the resources and machinery available to those in power cannot automatically guarantee electoral victory.
He said the Osun election had shown that voters could resist pressure and remain committed to their preferred candidate when they were determined to protect their choice at the polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner of Saturday’s election after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who recorded 444,815 votes.
The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in the remaining 11.
The result gives Adeleke another four years in office after his political realignment ahead of the election. He won the 2022 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but contested the latest poll under the Accord Party.
His move to Accord also triggered significant political realignments in the state, including the defection of 25 members of the Osun State House of Assembly from the PDP to the new platform.
Adeoye said the result was particularly significant given the political tension and security concerns that characterised the period leading to the election.
He alleged that voters faced intimidation and excessive deployment of security personnel, but maintained that the electorate remained resolute in deciding who should govern the state.
“The people of Osun have demonstrated that the ballot remains a powerful instrument in the hands of citizens. They stood by their choice and gave Governor Adeleke another mandate,” he said.
The election had also generated allegations of vote-buying and other electoral infractions, although the Centre for Democracy and Development described the exercise as largely peaceful while noting some challenges in the conduct of the poll.
Adeoye said the Osun experience should also resonate with voters in Lagos as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
He urged Lagos residents to draw lessons from the election and use their votes to determine the leadership they want.
The APM candidate said his party would provide an alternative to the current administration in Lagos, promising policies focused on addressing persistent challenges such as flooding, traffic congestion, unemployment and housing.
He also called on Nigerians to consider the APM ahead of the 2027 elections, identifying Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as the party’s presidential candidate.
Adeoye described Makinde as a leader capable of providing effective and accountable leadership at the national level.
Turning to Adeleke, the APM candidate cautioned the Osun governor against shifting allegiance to the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Adeoye argued that such a move would undermine the confidence placed in Adeleke by voters who had just returned him to office.
He consequently urged the governor to concentrate on delivering on his campaign promises and use his second term to improve the welfare of Osun residents.
Adeoye maintained that, regardless of the political calculations surrounding the election, the central message from Osun was that voters retain the ultimate power to determine who occupies elective office.
