Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke & Prince Laja Adeoye

Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke & Prince Laja Adeoye. Photo: X | Prince Laja Adeoye

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Prince Laja Adeoye, has said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election demonstrates that a determined electorate can withstand political pressure and defend its choice at the ballot box.

Adeoye, in a statement on Sunday congratulating Adeleke on his re-election, said the outcome of the poll had delivered a message to the ruling All Progressives Congress that political power and resources could not permanently override the will of the electorate.

“The outcome of this election is a powerful reminder to the ruling APC that a determined people cannot be defeated. Even if all the funds in the nation’s treasury are expended, and every apparatus of the state is deployed against the will of the people, that will shall still prevail. The Osun electorate has shown Nigeria once again that votes, when protected and courageously cast, remain the ultimate weapon against political tyranny,” Adeoye stated.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, was declared the winner of Saturday’s election by the Independent National Electoral Commission after securing 511,067 votes. https://punchng.com/breaking-inec-declares-adeleke-winner-of-osun-gov-poll/

His closest challenger, the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, polled 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.

The victory secured Adeleke a second term after he left the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform on which he won the 2022 election, and secured the Accord Party ticket for the 2026 poll. His defection had significantly altered the political calculations in the state, with PUNCH reporting that 25 members of the Osun State House of Assembly subsequently defected from the PDP to Accord.

The election was preceded by months of intense political competition, shifting alliances and concerns over security.

Adeoye said the Osun electorate had remained resolute despite what he described as heavy militarisation, widespread intimidation of voters and the deployment of substantial financial resources in the election.

“The people of Osun stood firm. They defended their mandate and voted massively for the man they trust to continue leading them,” he said.

His assessment comes amid competing accounts of the conduct of the election. While allegations of vote-buying, intimidation and other infractions emerged during and after the poll, the Centre for Democracy and Development described the election as generally peaceful, although it identified some operational challenges.

The APM candidate said the Osun result should provide a lesson for Lagos voters ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to use their votes to determine the direction of governance in the state.

He stated, “I call on the good people of Lagos to brace up. The determination of the Osun people and the power of their votes have shown us the way. In 2027, Lagosians can and must end APC misrule through the same resolve and the ballot box.

“APM offers a credible alternative. With the right leadership, we will deliver better policies, prudent fiscal management, and practical solutions to the everyday challenges of our people — including annual flooding, crippling traffic gridlock, youth unemployment, the housing crisis, and more.”

Adeoye also urged Nigerians to support the APM ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the party had presented Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as its presidential candidate.

He described Makinde as a leader of integrity capable of delivering good governance across the country and pledged to provide responsive and people-centred governance to Lagos residents if elected governor.

The APM candidate, however, warned Adeleke against abandoning the political platform through which he secured his renewed mandate, particularly in favour of the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“He must not take this hard-won mandate to the APC at the presidential level in 2027, as that would amount to a betrayal of the trust the people have placed in him,” Adeoye warned.

Adeoye urged the governor to reciprocate the confidence of Osun voters by dedicating his second term to serving the people and improving their welfare.

The APM candidate said the Osun election had ultimately demonstrated the power of the ballot and the ability of voters to determine who governs them.