Osun election: NDC hails Adeleke, faults Tinubu endorsement

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has hailed Governor Ademola Adeleke for his re-election in last Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

It described the process as victory for democracy and for the people of the state.

Reacting to the outcome of the election, the National Publicity Secretary of NDC, Osa Director, said that Adeleke’s victory has demonstrated that the people could resist what he described as “tyranny,” “civilian dictatorship” and attempts to suppress their will through the electoral process.

Director, who commended the people of Osun for turning out to exercise their franchise and insisting that their votes must count, said that the result was particularly significant because the people had demonstrated that even the use of federal power could not determine the outcome of an election when voters were determined to exercise their democratic rights.

The NDC National Publicity Secretary said, “The victory of the Accord Party in the Osun State governorship election is a victory for democracy. It is a triumph of the people’s will over any authoritarian leadership.

“It is a befitting crowning of the dogged efforts of the great people of Osun who resisted tyranny, who resisted civilian dictatorship, who resisted oppression and refused to be silenced and insisted that their vote must count.”

Director, who also hailed Adeleke for standing his ground in seeking re-election, saying the governor had insisted that he had the right to contest and be voted for by the people, said, “I commend Governor Adeleke for standing firm to insist that he has the right to contest and be voted for by his people if that is their choice, and indeed, that is actually their choice and became their choice.”

Director has, however, faulted Governor Adeleke’s readiness to support President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election by delivering Osun State to Tinubu, just as he described the statement as premature and reflective of the interests of the political elite.

Director, who asked whether such an endorsement was consistent with the sacrifices made by those who supported Adeleke’s re-election, particularly those who, according to him, lost their lives in the struggle surrounding the election.

He said, “I am surprised that Adeleke is promising to deliver Osun to President Bola Tinubu come 2027 presidential election. I think that is too hasty of him to say.

“He shows our elitist disposition. Political elites and ruling class are usually concerned about themselves.

 “If you think of those who died in the process to ensure that he gets the victory he desired, is he saying that they should die in vain?”

Director, who urged Adeleke to allow the people to determine their choice in the 2027 presidential election rather than assume that he could “deliver” the state to a particular candidate, said that the outcome of the Osun election itself had shown the limits of political control, stressing that even the federal might allegedly deployed by the Tinubu administration could not dictate how the people voted.

He said, “Also, in any case, he cannot determine what the people will do. Just like Bola Tinubu, with all the federal might, could not determine what the Osun people were going to do.

“So let him just savour his victory and allow the people in Osun State to decide who they are going to vote for in the presidential election in 2027.”

Director, who also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the Osun election, however cautioned the electoral umpire against allowing the outcome to become an isolated improvement ahead of the 2027 general elections, just as he said that the NDC would hold INEC to the standard it had set with the Osun poll and urged the commission to ensure that the transparency witnessed in the election was sustained.

He said, “I hope this is not going to be a flash in the pan on the part of INEC to make us lose our guards and think that come 2027 it will be this transparent.

“We are going to hold them to account to live up to this standard.”

Director, who also referenced INEC’s assurances on eliminating technical glitches associated with the electronic transmission and other electoral technologies, said that Nigerians expected the 2027 presidential election to be transparent, participatory and credible.

He said, “Kudos to Nigerians that we are at least moving towards the attainment of where elections are not a do-or-die affair and where the votes of the people count.”