Osun Election: Bamidele urges Oyebamiji to congratulate Adeleke, offer policy ideas
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Senate Leader and Chairman of the National Assembly South-West Caucus, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the Osun State election, Bola Oyebamiji, to congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election and offer constructive policy ideas to improve governance in the state.
Bamidele, who congratulated Adeleke on his victory, said the outcome of the election reaffirmed the supremacy of the electorate in a democracy and imposed a responsibility on the governor-elect to pursue inclusive governance.
He also said the defeat of the APC candidate did not make the party a loser, but rather a stakeholder in the development and future of Osun State.
The Senate Leader stated this in a statement he personally signed on Monday while reviewing the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
According to him, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, came third with 17,180 votes.
He said the reported 51.57 per cent voter turnout reflected growing confidence among Nigerians in the electoral process and the opportunity to participate in choosing their leaders.
Bamidele said the outcome of the election had once again demonstrated that the ultimate power in a democracy rested with the electorate.
“The summary of the entire process, again, perfectly reminds us where the final power actually lies in democracy.
“As shown in the recent elections across the federation, the final decision lies with the people, the true and ultimate arbiter of every democracy.
“Now that the people of Osun State have spoken, all contestants must accept and respect the decision of the majority,” he said.
He urged Adeleke to use his renewed mandate to reunite the people of the state across political divides and pursue policies capable of promoting peace, stability and development.
According to him, governance must go beyond partisan considerations and accommodate all sections of society.
“To drive a truly inclusive governance, 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 interests of all people regardless of their leanings,” he said.
Bamidele also called on other candidates in the election to accept the outcome and support efforts aimed at promoting inclusive governance in the state.
He specifically urged Oyebamiji to reach out to Adeleke, congratulate him and contribute ideas that could strengthen the administration.
“On this premise, I strongly encourage the candidate of our great party, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, to contact Governor Adeleke; congratulate him on his re-election and constructively share with him innovative policy ideas that can help him serve the interests of our people much better,” he said.
The Senate Leader argued that the election should not be viewed strictly through the prism of party victory or defeat, stressing that the development of Osun State should remain the priority of all political actors.
He also congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the conduct of the election, saying its outcome should provide useful lessons for political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bamidele said the result should prompt the APC to review and strengthen its campaign strategy and deepen engagement with stakeholders across the South-West.
He urged the party to broaden its engagement with artisans, traders, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths, women, labour unions, civil society organisations, community leaders, traditional rulers, business leaders, the private sector and the elderly.
“Our engagement approach, more than any time in our recent history, must be all-encompassing, and it must not leave any person or interest behind,” he said.
He said the Osun election also offered opportunities for the APC to improve its mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 elections, including its plan to secure increased support for President Bola Tinubu across the South-West.
Bamidele said the party should use the lessons from the election to strengthen its grassroots structure and communicate more effectively with voters.
He further urged APC members to highlight what he described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration in areas including economic reforms, security, democratic governance and national development.
The Senate Leader congratulated Adeleke on his re-election, saying the renewed mandate came with a responsibility to deliver greater dividends of democracy to the people.
“To Governor Adeleke, your re-election reaffirms the supremacy of the people in democracy, and this comes with a huge responsibility that demands a collective approach.
“To the APC and its candidate, we have competed with courage, ideas and vigour, but the people decided otherwise. The outcome of this election does not make us a loser, but indeed a true stakeholder in the progress and posterity of Osun State,” he said.
Bamidele expressed optimism that the election would usher in a new phase of development in Osun State and congratulated the people of the state on the conclusion of the electoral process.
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