By Matthew Johnson
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Prince Laja Adeoye, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the outcome of the election as a triumph of the will of the people.
Adeoye, in a statement on Sunday, said the result demonstrated that determined voters could protect their mandate despite alleged intimidation, heavy security presence and other attempts to influence the outcome of an election.
According to figures announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke of the Accord Party polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of the 30 local government areas in the state, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11 LGAs, giving the governor a 66,252-vote margin.
Reacting to the outcome, Adeoye said the election demonstrated that determined voters could prevail regardless of the resources and state apparatus allegedly deployed against them.
He alleged that the APC was seeking to perpetuate its control of Lagos despite what he described as the hardship faced by residents.
Adeoye said the APM would provide an alternative focused on prudent fiscal management and practical solutions to challenges including flooding, traffic congestion, youth unemployment and the housing crisis.
He also called on Nigerians to support the APM in the 2027 general elections, while expressing confidence in the party’s presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde.
Adeoye urged Adeleke to remain committed to the mandate given to him by the people of Osun and serve them with greater dedication.
He, however, cautioned the governor against transferring his political allegiance to the APC at the presidential level in 2027, saying such a move would amount to a betrayal of the confidence reposed in him by Osun voters.
He said, “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 urged Lagos residents to draw lessons from the Osun election ahead of the 2027 governorship election, saying voters could use their ballots to bring about political change in the state.
“Lagosians can and must end APC misrule through the same resolve and the ballot box. APM offers a credible alternative,” he said.
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