Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday flagged off his re-election campaign in Osogbo, the state capital, ahead of the forthcoming August 15 gubernatorial poll. He declared that he would not succumb to forces of darkness and intimidation.
Massive Crowd at Campaign Flag-Off
The event, held at the popular Freedom Park in Osogbo, attracted a mammoth crowd of supporters, stakeholders, and chieftains of the Accord Party. During the rally, some loyalists of the former national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, officially decamped to the ruling party.
Adeleke's Assurance on Ballot Presence
Speaking at the event, Adeleke reiterated that despite the Federal High Court ruling which ordered the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and a few other political parties, his party would be on the ballot during the August 15 governorship poll and the 2027 general election.
According to Adeleke, “Let me start by assuring you all – Accord will be on the ballot; your votes will count; and I will be re-elected as your governor on August 15th. All lawful means are being deployed to sustain and retain our rights to vote and be voted for. We will not bow to dark forces; we remain courageous and we shall again be victorious by the special grace of God.”
He charged supporters to hold their heads high and ensure no dull moment. “From this assembly for democracy, the light of good governance must continue to spread to all corners of Osun state. Go out to all voting units, mobilise for the Accord. Our party remains a duly registered political party in this country. Rule of law must prevail. Democracy must survive,” he stated.
Updated Five-Point Agenda
Adeleke continued, “Today, we are seeking a fresh mandate under an updated five-point agenda. I promise faithful implementation of the agenda after our victory on August 15th: Youth, women and workers’ welfare; Infrastructure consolidation for economic wellbeing; Agro-industrial expansion for human growth and prosperity; Affordable health and educational opportunities; and Improved business environment for job creation.”
Decampees Express Support
Speaking on behalf of the decampees, a loyalist of Omisore and former Commissioner for Education in Osun State, Honourable Folorunso Bamisaye, expressed their readiness to work for the re-election of Adeleke. He recalled that “when Adeleke was alone without our support, he beat our former party, APC three times, in 2017, he won 9 LGAs out of 10, in 2018, he won us with 353 votes before we sorted it, in 2022 he crashed us on the floor that we could not even stand up with 28,000 votes.”
“We the supporters of Omisore decided to join Adeleke for his re-election. It is only in the Bible that David defeated Goliath, it never happened in reality, we told them but they refuse to listen that Adeleke is a giant that David can’t defeat. We told them that they should present Omisore as candidate of the party but they don’t listen, he was disqualified.”
Bamisaye remarked, “Adeleke will win the election, we will work for his re-election, Adeleke has done well throughout the state in Osogbo, Ila, Iwo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa and others. You have done well, you deserve second term.”
