The Lagos State Governorship Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Prince Laja Adeoye, has congratulated Gov. Ademola Adeleke on his victory in the just-concluded Osun governorship election.
Adeoye, in a statement on Sunday, described Adeleke’s re-election as a triumph of the will of the people over what he described political tyranny.
The APM candidate said Adeleke’s victory over his closest challenger, Mr Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), demonstrated the power of the people’s votes.
According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji scored 444,815 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the 30 Local Government Areas, while Oyebamiji won in 11, giving the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes.
Adeoye said the people of Osun remained resolute despite what he described as heavy militarisation, intimidation of voters and deployment of huge financial resources during 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.
Adeoye said the outcome of the election was a reminder that determined citizens could resist attempts to undermine their democratic choices.
“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.
He urged Lagos residents to draw lessons from the Osun election ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeoye said Lagos residents could also use their votes to bring about what he described as democratic change and end what he called prolonged APC rule in the state.
The candidate said: “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.”
He also urged Nigerians to support the party in the 2027 general elections.
Adeoye said the party had presented Gov. Seyi Makinde as its presidential candidate, describing him as a leader of integrity capable of delivering good governance across the country.
Adeoye said he would similarly provide responsive and people-centred governance to Lagos residents if elected governor in 2027.
He urged Adeleke to remain committed to the people of Osun and justify the confidence they reposed in him through his re-election.
Adeoye also cautioned the governor against abandoning the political platform through which he secured the mandate of the Osun electorate.
“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 said.
Adeoye urged the governor to serve the people of Osun with greater dedication, remembering the support they gave him during the election.
Adeoye said the Osun election had demonstrated that the ballot remained a powerful instrument through which citizens could determine who governs them. (NAN)
