The Leader of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly South-West Caucus, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election as Governor of Osun State, saying the outcome of the election has reaffirmed the supremacy of the people in a democracy.
Bamidele stated this in a statement personally signed by him on Monday, following the conclusion of the Osun State governorship election.
Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, polled 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salam, came third with 17,180 votes.
According to Bamidele, the election, which recorded a 51.57 per cent voter turnout based on the number of Permanent Voter Cards collected, demonstrated that the people remained the ultimate arbiters in a democracy.
He said the outcome of the poll should remind all political actors that ‘the final decision lies with the people, the true and ultimate arbiter of every democracy.’
Bamidele urged all the contestants to accept and respect the decision of the majority, stressing that the conclusion of the election should pave the way for reconciliation and inclusive governance in the state.
He congratulated Adeleke but said the victory came with the responsibility of reuniting the people of Osun State across political divides and ensuring that governance was directed towards the interests of all residents.
‘While politics is often based on the principle of partisanship to a specific political party, governance entails a collective approach that must not exclude any section of the state,’ he said.
The Senate Leader also urged Adeleke to extend a hand of fellowship to other candidates and political parties, saying such an approach would promote peace, stability and effective service delivery. He called on other candidates, particularly the APC candidate, Oyebamiji, to sheathe their swords and support the elected governor in the interest of Osun State.
‘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,’ Bamidele said.
He argued that the APC should not regard the outcome as an outright defeat, noting that Adeleke was formerly a member of the APC and had expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
Bamidele said the election also offered important lessons for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly on the need to strengthen its campaign strategy and deepen engagement with voters and stakeholders across the South-West.
He said the party must meaningfully engage artisans, market women, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths, women, labour unions, civil society organisations, community leaders, traditional rulers, business leaders and other stakeholders.
‘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.
Bamidele also congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on what he described as the successful conduct of the Osun election, saying the outcome was clear.
‘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,’ he said.
He added that the APC and its candidate had competed with courage, ideas and vigour, but the people had 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,’ the leader added.
He expressed hope that the outcome of the election would usher in greater economic, social and technological development for Osun State.