A man of conviction does not bow to the weight of authority, he stands firm, keeps his eyes on the goal and let his achievement become the answer to his critics.
This is obviously true of Governor Ademola Adeleke whose electoral victory over APC Candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji, ADC, Najeem Salaam and other contestants will dominate the public space for some time. The reasons are simple, for the past few months up till last week, Osun state has gained national attention as the Governorship election draws nearer. There were reported cases of political violence as well as counter allegations from supporters of the three front line runners on alleged oppression, intimidation and alleged killings of key members sympathetic to their political cause.
Such was the scenario before the D-DAY on Saturday, August 15th 2026. This led to deployment of thousands of police officers, NSCDC officials, DSS operatives apart from a sizeable number of military men that were put on standby to ensure there is peace, during and after the election.
There are several factors that contributed to Governor Adeleke’s victory. First is his government resolve to hit the ground running after the 2022 election which he won by defeating the then incumbent, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, knowing fully well that the electorate can not be taken for granted any longer. No wonder his campaign was anchored on ” This is my scorecard in 4 years, prompt payment of salaries to workers, enhanced welfare for the workers, payment of backlog of pensions and gratuity to retirees, infrastructural development across the 30 local governments and upgrading of health facilities for the people.
Another important factor is what has been described as the political dynasty of the Adeleke family, a gracious legacy pioneered by Senator Ayoola Adeleke, dating back to the second Republic days .
The lessons from this electoral victory are numerous but few will be highlighted. As we draw closer to the 2027 general elections, the Osun Governorship election has taught politicians that power ultimately belongs to the people through the ballot box if there is level playing ground and that power of incumbency is nothing if it is not matched by visible performance that are verifiable.
Governor Adeleke’s victory also teaches that the days of taking the electorate for granted is over as the voters may not have spoken with their votes if he did not deserve another 4 years.
Finally, the victory teaches another lesson that If INEC can sustain the commendable efforts that led to its brilliant performance in the Osun election, it will boost the confidence of the voters that each single vote will count for the 2027 general elections which will ultimately enhance Nigeria’s democratic development.
