Why Oyetola, APC lost Osun Governorship election — Investigation
…Light back to Osun- Adeleke
…Supporters to remain calm-Oyetola
… PDP’s victory will of God — Deputy Governor-elect, Kola Adewusi
…Supporters to remain calm-Oyetola
…Buhari, Okowa, Ikpeazu, Babatope others congratulate Adeleke
…Aregbesola deletes post mocking Oyetola
Olawale Jeleel and Ismail Azeez
Investigation by Nigerian NewsDirect has revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the Governorship election with over 28,353 votes following failure of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) leaders to address grievances of aspirants that participated in the primary election for the selection of candidates of the party for various positions such as Governor, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly.
Other reasons for the loss of the election include greed by party leaders that diverted election mobilisation fund and turned Oyetola of APC into cash-cow , over-rating of defected PDP members who joined APC with no followers, failure to resolve former Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-Oyetola feud, imposition of candidates with no grassroot experience during primary election, imposition of Local Government caretaker committee chairmen with bad characters by party leaders,
appointment of friends of APC leaders with no political experience as caretaker committee chairmen, appointment of councillors with no grassroot instead of conducting election, appointment of party leaders concubines and eye-service followers (who lost their units and wards during July 16 election ) instead of grassroot politicians, failure of Local Government caretaker Committee Chairmen,Secretary and Councillors to utilize mobilisation fund, silent campaign against APC by Christian leaders in protest against choice of a Muslim as Vice Presidential Candidate by the APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, past extortion of party aspirants during the primary election who paid huge amount of money to purchase expression and nomination forms with no refund. This includes N25 million for the Senate, N10million for the House of Reps and N3million for House of Assembly with no compensation of appointment and refund despite the fact that candidates were imposed during the direct primary for the National Assembly and House of Assembly elections instead of Delegate primary election adopted by other states as approved by the National Secretariat of APC.
Among others are protest votes for PDP by APC followers against maltreatment by party leaders who had turned semi-gods, vote for highest bidder by the electorate complaining of poverty , appointment of incompetent party members with no political experience and grassroot touch to take charge of the guber election and infrastructure decay among others.
The much awaited Osun State Governorship election was seriously contested among the candidates.Among the Governorship candidates were Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressive Congress (APC); Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Honourable Lasun Yusuf of Labour Party (LP); Dr Akin Ogunbiyi of Accord Party (AP) and Architect Omigbodun of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
While reacting to his victory over incumbent Governor Oyetola, the Governor-elect Senator Adeleke said he has brought light to Osun.This message was posted on his verified Twitter handle.
Discussing with our correspondent, a close associate of the PDP leaders in Ilobu of Osun State who described the unexpected victory as the handwork of God said that supporters of aggrieved aspirants such as the former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives,Rt Hon Yusuf Lasun who paid N100 million for Guber nomination form supported the PDP with their votes.
Hon Yusuf Lasun who dumped the APC and became the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had denied reports that he dumped his political ambition to support Governor elect Ademola Adeleke of the PDP in the Osun State gubernatorial election. While reacting to the report, he said the reports are untrue and described the news carriers as ‘mad people.’
However, election result for Ilobu shows that the PDP polled 14,369 and defeated the 12,122 figure of APC.
Also in Ejigbo, the PDP with 18,065 defeated the APC with 14,355 votes despite appeal made three days to the July 16 election for the followers to vote for Oyetola of APC by an active member of the TOP APC faction and former Speaker of the House of Assembly Rt Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salam currently serving on the board of a Federal Government’s Galaxy Backbone Limited.
Also findings by our correspondents revealed that Oyetola as the APC Governorship candidate lost the July 16 election because the party ignored impact of hot intra-party crisis among members of the party such as defection of the followers of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola to the PDP across the three senatorial districts.
For instance, Former Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kolapo Alimi, defected to the PDP five weeks to July 16 gubernatorial election.
Upon defection, Alimi was appointed as the Deputy Director General of Adeleke Campaign Organisation, the body charged with the responsibility of securing victory for the PDP candidate in the July 16 Osun Governorship poll, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
Alimi, a lawyer, served as commissioner in the state cabinet during the two terms of ex-Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
The Erin Osun-born politician, who until his defection was the Secretary, of The Osun Progressives of a faction in Osun APC backed by the Minister of Interior, Aregbesola, was one of the fiercest critics of the outgoing Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, who he accused of sidelining those that worked for his victory.
Also in Ife Central,the former Commissioner for Home Affairs Hon Biyi Odunlade defected to the PDP to protest failure to secure political appointment followers to secure.
A stalwart of the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said the unresolved intra-party crisis between Ilerioluwa (Oyetola’s faction) and former Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s The Osun Progressives (TOP), which began at the inception of Oyetola’s administration, was a major factor that caused the defeat of the party in the poll.
A former Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Sikiru Ayedun, said, “Factionalisation of the party, winner takes all syndrome by the Governor and abandonment of old party members to favour decampees in the party are some of the issues resulting to fall of the party in the Governorship election which the party will look into in future.”
The unresolved crisis occasioned by the primary election conducted in May this year was also said to have been responsible for defeat of the party in the poll.
According to a source, “some members of the party felt cheated in the primary when the leaders wrote name of candidates after most of the aspirants obtained forms but primary election was not conducted.
“This nearly tears the party apart even within the Governor’s camp when the delegates refused to sign on blank result sheets at the Governor’s office, Osogbo. This did not go down well especially with some of the aspirants in the party and preferred to work for the PDP.”
An interview with one of the leaders of pensioners in the state, Mr Adegoke Omopo, revealed that the pensioners were not happy with the government due to the fact that most of the pensioners who retired between 2017 upward have not received their pension.
According to Omopo, not all those who retired before 2017 whom the government claimed to have paid received payment. Although, Oyetola’s Government was being praised for prompt payment of salaries and pensions.
He stressed that people want change of party in the state to allow a person from another party to steer the ship of the state.
“The APCs Government has learnt its lesson and this would propel the party to mend fences and prepare for 2026 election in the state.
“The PDP had once learnt its lesson in the past when Osun people rejected it and voted for Rauf Aregbesola of AC then, now APC. Many factors also responsible for the defeat of APC in Saturday’s Governorship election which are known to the electorate,” Omopo declared.
Victory is the will of God-Deputy Governor-elect
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor-elect, Prince Kola Adewusi, has described the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Saturday Governorship election as the will of God, saying it is a victory over powerful forces in the State.
Adewusi said this in an interview with Nigerian NewsDirect in Ile-Ife.
According to him, “It is peaceful and well organised election.The exercise went well. I am satisfied with the conduct and results of the election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erirmed excellently.
“The electoral umpire has improved tremendously in conducting free, fair and credible election. I commended INEC for being independent and not allow intimidation during the exercise.”
Adewusi stressed that the wish of the people of Osun has prevailed by voting for the PDP.
“They spoke through their votes and their votes eventually counted. The electorate conducted themselves in orderly manner throughout the exercise,” he said.
The Deputy Governor-elect said he was elated with the emergence of the PDP which is an indication that Osun people loved PDP and a victory for democracy.
Also, the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ile-Ife, Professor Wale Oladipo said that the party won the Governorship election as a result of hunger in the country.
“This is democracy where people are allowed to exercise their franchise without intimidation and this is exactly what happened on Saturday. I am satisfied with the conduct of the election which our party won.
“The State is in deep mess and we will start recovery soon. I commended INEC and people of the party for deciding who they want to govern them.”
In the same vein, there was wild jubilation in Ile-Ife on Sunday shortly after INEC declared the PDP Candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, as the winner of the Governorship election.
Adeleke amassed 403,371 votes to defeat the incumbent governor, Adegboyega Oyetola with 375,353 votes.
The supporters and PDP members were seen in different streets of the ancient city, celebrating the victory of the party which has left government in the past 12 years in the state. The sang different songs and danced to express their joy on the victory of their party.
Meanwhile, Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Ismail Omipidan has urged APC supporters to remain calm following declaration of Senator Adeleke as the winner in the July 16 guber election. He argued that Oyetola cannot congratulate Adeleke until the party has carefully study the outcome of the election.
The statement read, “The Governor also called the people of the state to go about their businesses without let or hindrance.
“He has taken cognisance of the results of the Governorship election in the state as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday.
“He, however, noted that the party would be responding appropriately after studying the results and consulting with critical stakeholders of the party.
“The Governor also called on security operatives to ensure maintenance of law and order. He, has therefore, directed security operatives to take adequate charge so as to prevent break down of law and order.”
However, President Muhammadu Buhari,Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta,Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, former Chairman of PDP Secondus, PDP Chieftain Ebenezer Babatope.
Hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the outcome of the poll, the President stated that the will of the electorate must always prevail.
“With the election over, the President expresses the conviction that the people of Osun have expressed their will through the ballot, and the will of the people must always matter and be respected in a democracy,” President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
“President Buhari notes that the successful conduct of the election is further testimony to the maturity and commitment of all stakeholders – the electoral body, security agencies, political parties, the media, civil society, and the electorate – to further strengthen the integrity of the electoral process in the country.”
Delta Governor and PDP Vice-Presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, described the election of Senator Adeleke as ‘the affirmation of Osun people’s will’ even as he called on Nigerians to always stand for good leaders with the interest of the people at heart.
Okowa stated that the electorate across the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State spoke loudly and very clearly in their affirmation of their choice of Adeleke as the next Governor.
He lauded the former Governor of the State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senator Olu Alabi and other party leaders in the state for working together in the interest of the PDP and the Osun people.
Okowa noted that the election of Adeleke had signposted the reality of PDP’s determination to rescue Nigeria, saying ‘the mission has just begun.’
Former Minister of Aviation and Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope hailed the election of Senator Adeleke as the eventual liberation of the people of the state from slavery to good governance.
Chief Babatope, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP declared that the victory of the party at the poll was by the Lord and the collective determination of God despite the open display of power and money muscles.
According to him, “We don’t have the power of incumbency or cash to do anything, but we believed in God and the determination of our people for a change of government and it happened.”
Ikpeazu described the victory as ‘A clear testimony of the consistency of Senator Adeleke, the preference of the Peoples Democratic Party as party of choice by Nigerians, and most importantly, the power of a resolute people to determine the direction for their future.’
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has pulled down posts he made on his social media handles mocking the APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and Oyetola.
Aregbesola had in a post, said the outcome of the election was God showing his supremacy over the power of men.
Reacting to the outcome of the election, the former Osun Governor posted on his handles, saying “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth it up over the baseth of men.(Daniel 4:17).
However, in less than an hour,Aregbesola deleted the post and claimed that the comment was made without his approval.
