Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has urged the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, to congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election and offer policy ideas that could strengthen governance in the state.
Bamidele, who chairs the National Assembly South-West Caucus, made the appeal in a statement on Monday while reviewing the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election.
According to the figures cited by the Senate Leader, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
He said the election had once again demonstrated the supremacy of the electorate and urged all candidates to respect the decision of the people.
“Now that the people of Osun State have spoken, all contestants must accept and respect the decision of the majority,” Bamidele said.
The Senate Leader said Adeleke’s victory should come with a responsibility to unite the state and ensure that governance was not driven by partisan interests.
He urged the governor to reach beyond the Accord Party, under which he contested the election, and extend a hand of fellowship to his political opponents.
“To drive a truly inclusive governance, Governor Adeleke must look beyond the political platform that nominated him and extend his hand of fellowship to other candidates and political parties with a view to building a resilient state that functions in the interests of all people regardless of their leanings,” he said.
Bamidele specifically appealed to Oyebamiji to reach out to the governor and contribute ideas that could improve the lives of Osun residents.
“On this premise, I strongly encourage the candidate of our great party, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, to contact Governor Adeleke; congratulate him on his re-election and constructively share with him innovative policy ideas that can help him serve the interests of our people much better,” he said.
The appeal followed a fiercely contested election in which the APC sought to wrest control of Osun from Adeleke. Oyebamiji had campaigned on promises of people-centred governance and insisted before the poll that the APC had the grassroots support needed to defeat the incumbent.
Bamidele, however, said the APC should not view the outcome simply as a defeat, arguing that the party remained a major stakeholder in the state’s political and economic development.
“For me, the APC did not lose the election given the background that Governor Adeleke was coming from as a member of the APC before he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
He also referenced Adeleke’s support for President Bola Tinubu and argued that his re-election could be viewed beyond conventional party lines.
Bamidele urged the APC to use the result to review its mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly its engagement with voters across the South-West.
He called for broader interaction with artisans, traders, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths, women, labour unions, civil society groups, community leaders, traditional rulers and business leaders.
“Our engagement approach, more than any time in our recent history, must be all-encompassing, and it must not leave any person or interest behind,” he said.
The Senate Leader also congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission and described the election as an opportunity for political parties to draw lessons ahead of the next electoral cycle.
For Adeleke, Bamidele said, the renewed mandate should translate into more inclusive governance and stronger efforts to reconcile political divisions within the state.
“To Governor Adeleke, your re-election reaffirms the supremacy of the people in democracy, and this comes with a huge responsibility that demands a collective approach,” he said.
Bamidele said the APC and its candidate had contested with “courage, ideas and vigour”, but accepted that the electorate had made its choice.
