From Oluseye Ojo, Lateef Dada, Osogbo, Ndubuisi Orji, Paul Osuyi, Asaba,Okwe Obi, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja, Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, have bragged that the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke, the party’s candidate in the Osun State  election, was a reflection of the outcome of 2023 general poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday,  officially declared  Adeleke winner of Saturday’s keenly contested governorship poll in Osun State

Returning officer for the election, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who is the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, said the PDP candidate polled a total of 403,371 votes to defeat the sitting governor, Gboyega Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored a total of 375,027 votes. Adeleke won with a margin of 28,344 votes. He swept 17 of the 30 local government areas of the state, while Oyetola topped in 13 local governments. But the duo had narrow winning margins in majority of the local government areas they won, respectively.

The candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Kehinde Atanda, who scored 10,104 votes came a distant third, while the Accord candidate, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi came fourth with 4,515 votes. A former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuf Lasun, of Labour Party (LP) came fifth with 2,729 votes. A total of 15 political parties fielded candidates for the election.

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), in its reaction,  said the victory of its candidate in the Osun governorship poll, was a referendum on the APC.

PDP’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in a statement, yesterday, said the people of Osun has spoken through the governorship poll.

Ayu expressed confidence that the rest of the country would also reject the APC in the 2023 polls.

The PDP leader said with the Osun victory, the party’s next move is to regain the presidency in the 2023 general elections.

“This election was a referendum on the disastrous APC stewardship, and proves conclusively that Nigerians want PDP back. And, indeed, PDP is coming!”

Ayu alleged that the Osun State government did everything it could to frustrate the opposition party, prior to last weekend’s election.

“This included denying us the use of any public facility in the state capital for our mega-rally. We had to use the party’s state secretariat. As it were, we couldn’t have access to the stadium, but we had access to the people’s hearts, loyalty and votes. The convincing win of 403, 371 against governor Oyetola’s 375, 027 is ample proof of that.” 

Meanwhile, Atiku in his congratulatory message to the governor-elect titled, ‘The ship of hope is already at the harbour’, said the referendum on the administration of the APC had commenced with the verdict of the people of Osun State in electing Senator Adeleke.

The former vice president added that the ship of hope was at the harbour under the umbrella of the PDP, adding that the party would  intensify the work to ensure the uproot of vestiges of bad governance and false hopes towards the 2023 election. 

“It is inconceivable that Nigerians will reward the APC for the failings of the last seven years. And in a state like Osun, for example, its been a long time since the people last felt the effect of good governance…The Imole (light) that has started to shine from Osun shall soon have a national coverage. One more good thing about the victory in Osun is that it has provided a catalyst for the PDP to see the opportunity when the party works together in unity,” the former VP said. 

Delta State Governor and vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, said the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke in Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State was a signpost of the determination of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to rescue Nigeria in next year’s general elections.

Okowa  said Adeleke’s victory was the beginning of the rescue mission of Nigeria by his party.

The governor, in a congratulatory statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, described the election of Adeleke as “the affirmation of Osun people’s will” and called on Nigerians to always stand for good leaders with the interest of the people at heart.