Penultimate Saturday, the people of Osun State, South West Nigeria, rose in unison to defend their choice of dancing Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, in spite of all efforts to unseat him by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It was a clear statement that when the people are united and resolute, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to break their resolve.
This entire episode simply reminds one of a popular highlife song while growing up, whose lyrics go inter alia:.. Whether nah carpenter, nah my choice … anything he be oh, nah my choice…
The musician who sang that song, I do not now recall, but the philosophy behind it simply centres around someone whose choice of a spouse is rejected by the family, but the concerned fellow still insists that in spite of all opposition, his or her mind is made and never to be changed.
The people of Osun insisted that their union with their governor is a match made for them in heaven, and no force can come between them and their dancing governor.
The moral here is that when the people make up their mind on their choice as leader, that choice should remain sacrosanct and that they reserve the inalienable right to do so.
The build-up to that election gave not a few real cause for concern. This is especially so, because of the rhetoric, hate speeches, and actual physical threats to peace by some unscrupulous party men. Comments coming from, otherwise, senior citizens calling for killings and attacks on all who opposed their quest for that office.
However, despite the bitter rivalry and threats to the peace and some unfortunate loss of lives, the generality of the outcome eventually was by far better than feared.
Governor Adeleke’s magnanimity in victory is worth commending, as he has promised to be a governor for all and not just for those who supported him only.
Adeleke has promised scholarships for the children of those who lost their lives and an endowment fund for all those who were injured during the election.
He has also paid President Bola Tinubu a visit as well as the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike. While one understands his visit to President Tinubu, perhaps to further reassure him that Osun State under him, come 2027, will back the President, I simply cannot wrap my head around his choice of a visit to Wike. Who and what is Wike’s role in all of this, or will Adeleke also visit all the 36 state governors? Why Wike? Perhaps only Adeleke can explain that.
The president also should get some plaudits for calling on all contestants to be law-abiding and to eschew violence. He was also quick to congratulate Adeleke on his victory. But again, what were the missions of all the APC governors sent to Osun? Was that really necessary, and why the desperation to win Osun? What would it say of our democracy if all the states were APC? The invasion of Osun by these governors and their retinue of aides and security details is not in the best interest of democracy. These governors have no direct involvement, nor do they have any role to play in the process other than just a sheer show of might and force, which, if not well-handled, could have led to untoward outcomes.
The INEC, too, deserves some commendation for allowing the people’s choice to prevail. With an already charged atmosphere, anything short of allowing the verdict of the people to prevail would have been a recipe for anarchy.
This whole hullabaloo around the Osun governorship contest could have been completely avoided if Adeleke had been guaranteed the APC ticket and allowed to jump ship to the APC. Adeleke is APC in spirit. It’s only a matter of time before he finally switches allegiance. He has always demonstrated that. His pledge to deliver the state to President Tinubu come the 2027 general elections only attests to that fact. So, what were the war cries and open threats to life really about? Why encourage violence for something as simple as an election where only the contestants and their cronies are the sole beneficiaries?
The Osun election, which is the last off- cycle election before the 2027 general election, is just a test case of what to expect come next year. The politicians will, as usual, allow their desperation to get the better of them and will do everything to circumvent the process. They will as always, coat their personal ambitions and desires in the garb of national interest or the so-called love for their people. But it is what it is: grab power for the sake of it and for personal aggrandisement.
That there is peace in Osun is because the outcome of the poll reflected the wishes of the people. What this means is that if the process and eventual outcome do not reflect the aspirations of voters, then there is always the possibility of a breakdown of law and order.
This nation is greater than the personal ambition of one man or a group of people. For as long as our elections remain rancorous and violence-prone, for so long shall we continue groping in the dark.
Elections are easy and should not take lives. Those who continue to set us against one another on religious, tribal, and other sentiments should be reprimanded and punished in accordance with the law. How long shall we continue to live on the precipice just because a few politicians want to satisfy their personal egos and desires?
Why will any sane mind openly call for the killings of their fellow citizens over elections? How will these bestial attitudes change when those guilty are allowed to go unpunished?
As we congratulate Governor Adeleke for his hard-earned victory, we also praise the resolve of the people of Osun for insisting and ensuring that their votes count. What this means is that Nigerians are no longer swayed by the size of the political parties but by the quality of the candidates presented.
Also, the choice of Adeleke by the people simply means that he had done enough to convince the people that he deserves a second term and was duly rewarded.
There is no other way to explain the victory of Adeleke running on the ticket of a relatively unknown Accord Party, other than the fact that he remained the choice of the people irrespective of his platform.
Finally, we look forward to that day when the preferred candidate and not necessarily the party he represents will begin to triumph over the so-called man-made criminality called party structures and moneybags who continue to subvert the will of the people to further expand their criminal enterprise. That day when the Nigerian voter will truly say, “even if nah barber, nah my choice, whether nah driver nah my choice, anything he be o, nah my choice.
