Osun poll: Your strides paid off, NGF hails Adeleke’s re-election

File photo: Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, saying the outcome of the governorship election reflected the strides made by the governor and the confidence placed in him by the electorate.

In a statement signed by its Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Sunday, the Forum also commended the people of Osun State for their turnout and all candidates who participated in the keenly contested election.

The NGF described the poll as another demonstration of the resilience of Nigeria’s democracy, while acknowledging the important role played by opposition parties in strengthening the country’s democratic process.

“The NGF acknowledges the strides and personality of the governor, which readily paid off at the keenly contested election,” the Forum said.

It congratulated Adeleke on his victory and expressed confidence that he would build on the achievements of his first term during his second tenure.

“We are confident that His Excellency, Ademola Adeleke, will continue to build on the successes of his first term in the overall interest of the people of Osun State,” it said.

Adeleke, who contested on the Accord Party platform, secured re-election in the August 15 governorship election, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The election attracted significant attention as one of the major off-cycle governorship contests ahead of the 2027 general elections and was closely watched by political parties, Civil Society Organisations and election observers.

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The NGF noted that the level of voter participation demonstrated the continued interest of Nigerians in the democratic process.

“The Forum similarly commends the people of the state for the large turnout during the election. We believe that the interest that the off-cycle ballot generated again confirms the resilience of Nigerian democracy.

“The Forum acknowledges the incredibly important role that opposition parties also play in shaping our democracy, and we commend all the candidates for their efforts,” the statement read in part.

The NGF further praised security agencies for their handling of the election, saying their intervention helped prevent the violence recorded in the days preceding the poll from disrupting the exercise, saying that it “commends the security agencies for curtailing the initial trend of violence in the days leading to the election and creating a secure condition for the exercise to proceed without much incident.”

It singled out President Bola Tinubu for what it described as a statesmanlike role during the election. According to the governors, Tinubu successfully balanced his position as leader of the ruling APC with his responsibility as president and father of the nation.

“Finally, we acknowledge the statesmanlike role that President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, has played as he carefully balanced his position as the leader of the ruling party on the one hand and the father of the nation on the other,” the NGF said.

The Forum’s statement comes amid competing political interpretations of the Osun election, which was widely viewed as a test of the strength of the ruling APC and opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.