By Nathaniel Zaccheaus
Senate Leader and Chairman of the South-West Caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has expressed confidence in the All Progressives Congress, APC, winning the August 15 Osun State governorship election, attributing the party’s advantage to stronger organisation, internal cohesion and expanding political support.
Bamidele, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the election offered Osun voters an opportunity to determine who would govern the state for the next four years, urging all political actors to respect the electoral process and preserve peace.
He said the contest should be decided by the electorate rather than by federal influence, incumbency or political intimidation.
According to him, the APC’s present position in Osun was significantly different from that of the 2022 election, when internal divisions contributed to the party’s defeat.
The Senate Leader argued that the party had since rebuilt its structure and strengthened its grassroots network ahead of the forthcoming poll.
He said political organisation, rather than incumbency alone, would be decisive in determining the outcome of the election.
“It is all about political institutions and strength, not about individuals or sentiments,” Bamidele said.
The Senate Leader also pointed to the weakening of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political alliances as another factor that could influence the election.
He cited the defection of political figures previously associated with the governor, including Senator Francis Fadahunsi and three members of the House of Representatives, as evidence of changing political alignments in the state.
Bamidele argued that the movement of political actors between parties reflected growing concerns over representation and governance within the incumbent administration.
He also dismissed allegations that the APC was relying on federal might to defeat Adeleke, pointing to actions by President Bola Tinubu which, he said, demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to neutrality.
The statement cited the President’s intervention following the restriction of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as evidence that the Federal Government was not seeking to cripple the state administration.
Bamidele further said the President had directed security agencies to maintain professionalism before, during and after the election.
He urged all political parties and their candidates to reciprocate by adhering to the rules and avoiding actions capable of triggering violence.
“The people, not the federal government, will determine who will govern them,” he said.
The Senate Leader called on the candidates to focus on their manifestoes and allow voters to assess their records, programmes and capacity to govern.
He also appealed to Osun residents to reject violence and protect the peace of the state before, during and after the election.
Bamidele said the forthcoming election was particularly important because its outcome would determine the direction of governance and development in Osun over the next four years.
He maintained that the APC was now better positioned than it was in 2022 to reclaim the governorship, arguing that greater unity and a stronger political structure had improved its prospects.
He said the lesson from the previous election was that political parties could not rely solely on incumbency or federal power to win elections.
“The power to decide still lies in the hands of the people and not in the incumbent,” he said.
Bamidele consequently urged all contestants to submit themselves to the electoral process and accept the decision of Osun voters, stressing that the state’s peace should take precedence over partisan interests.
