Adeleke’s Osun Victory Sends Strong Signal Ahead of 2027 — Ijebor

By Okpashi David Odama

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr. Anselm Ijebor, has described the outcome of the Osun State governorship election as a clear manifestation of the will of the people and a strong signal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday while reacting to the election, Ijebor commended the people of Osun State for exercising their democratic rights despite what he described as the intimidating presence of several APC governors, National Assembly leaders and other political actors in the state.
According to him, the election demonstrated that the people still have the power to determine the direction of democracy through their votes.
“The Osun governorship election has not only come with surprises, but has also sent a warning signal to the ruling All Progressives Congress that Nigerians still have a voice and a choice to make in the nation’s democratic process.”
Ijebor said the people of Osun spoke decisively through their votes, adding that the outcome of the election had rekindled confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“Osun people spoke during Saturday’s governorship election despite the intimidating presence of several APC governors, National Assembly leaders and other political actors in Osogbo,” he said.
He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as its role in conducting the election and allowing the people’s votes to prevail.
According to him, the people of Osun demonstrated resilience by remaining committed to their choice and resisting every form of intimidation.
“I commend the people of Osun State for their steadfastness and commitment to democracy. Their decision has shown that elections should not be about intimidation, harassment, molestation or political gangstering, but about the free expression of the will of the people,” Ijebor stated.
He said the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke demonstrated his acceptability among the people of the state and reflected their assessment of his administration.
Ijebor further noted that Adeleke’s reported victory across 19 of the 30 local government areas, against 11 won by his closest rival, was significant and deserved to be carefully considered by political leaders ahead of 2027.
While commending INEC for the peaceful conduct of the election, the PDP chieftain said the declaration of Adeleke as winner after the collation of results and determination that he had satisfied the constitutional requirements was an indication that Nigerians still had confidence in the electoral process.
He particularly commended the Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, for what he described as courage and professionalism in declaring the result.
“The Returning Officer deserves commendation for his courage, integrity and professionalism. It takes courage for an electoral officer to remain focused on his responsibility and declare the result according to the outcome of the votes cast by the people,” Ijebor said.
He described the outcome of the election as a message to political parties and leaders that the electorate would continue to demand accountability and good governance.
Ijebor, however, urged Governor Adeleke to extend an olive branch to members of other political parties and govern the state inclusively, irrespective of political affiliation.
He also urged the governor to shun vindictive tendencies and avoid the “winner-takes-all” mentality, stressing that the interest of the people should remain the priority of every elected government.
“The election is over. What is now required is governance for all. Governor Adeleke should extend an olive branch to members of other political parties and ensure that no citizen feels marginalised because of his or her political affiliation,” he said.
Ijebor concluded that the Osun election had demonstrated the importance of the ballot and expressed optimism that the will of Nigerians would ultimately prevail in the 2027 general elections.