Saraki, Diri congratulate Adeleke over victory at Osun guber poll

Former President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that the winner of Saturday’s Osun State gubernatorial election, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has by the victory reclaimed the stolen mandate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement released on his social media handles, Saraki emphasized that after the inexplicable loss in 2018, Adeleke demonstrated leadership by working to build a stronger coalition across the state and the nation in order to ensure that the PDP remained the most popular party in the state and emerged victorious four years later.

The former Senate President also described the incoming Osun State governor as the “leader that Osun needs at this crucial time,” while also commending the work of the PDP’s polling unit agents who worked to ensure that every vote was counted and that results from all polling units were uploaded to the INEC election portal in line with the new Electoral Act guidelines.

• Adeleke reclaimed PDP’s stolen mandate in Osun, says Saraki

The statement signed by Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office read: “Today, all across Nigeria, the nation has watched as the people of Osun State have delivered a clear, loud, and strong message: “Imole De” — which means that light has come.

“We have watched, as the people of this great state have reclaimed their mandate and the mandate of my dear friend and brother, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, the PDP Governorship candidate, which was surreptitiously stolen at the polls exactly 4 years ago.

“With everything that we have all witnessed here in Osun State, one lesson remains clear: the people of Nigeria want better. They want lives that are not hampered by the rising cost of living, the flailing economy, and insecurity. They want a conscientious government — one that works for and represents the best interests of themselves, their families, and their communities.

“Make no mistake, this victory was not easily attained. It is the culmination of the sacrifice and hard work of our party leaders, stakeholders, and leaders, who all played specific roles to ensure that this time around, our party’s mandate has been protected, and our candidate has now emerged victorious.

“I congratulate my brothers, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Governor Godwin Obaseki, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to ensure that our victory was not only concise but complete.

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“I commend all the polling unit agents and the young people in the PDP situation room who stood their ground to ensure that the votes were counted and uploaded in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines. I must say, after training our determined polling unit agents earlier this week, and spending the entire day with the young and excited people that manned our situation room, I am more than optimistic about our party’s chances in 2023. When we work together, the PDP is unstoppable!

“I commend INEC and the security agencies, who largely were impartial and allowed the votes of the people of Osun to be reflected in the actual results.

“Again, my heartfelt congratulations go out to my dear friend, Sen. Adeleke, who understood the lessons garnered from 2018 and worked to build stronger coalitions across the state and the nation. You have demonstrated that you are truly the leader that Osun needs at this crucial time.

“Finally, I commend the people of Osun State and all Nigerians for standing by the PDP and believing that our party represents the best chance at a better life.

“As we prepare for the 2023 General Election, I am optimistic that by appealing to the best interest of all Nigerians — as partners and stakeholders in the development of our dear nation — our party is well-positioned to reclaim many of our states and the federal government.

“With this winning strategy, moving forward, our objective is clear: Together, we must fix Nigeria, rescue it from the failures of the past 7-years, and work to elect our former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the next President of Nigeria.

“I pray that Almighty Allah blesses the incoming Governor of Osun State, Sen. Adeleke, the great people of Osun, and the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

• Osun PDP’s victory, a test case for 2023 election, says Diri

In the same vein shortly after INEC’s announcement of Adeleke as the winner of the poll, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was the Chairman of the PDP National Campaign council for the election, told journalists at the country home of the Adeleke’s in Ede, that the victory was a massive one for the party and the candidate.

In a statement by his Director, New Media, Dr Kola Oredipe, the governor while congratulating the Osun State governor-elect, said despite the wide acceptance and popularity of the candidate, the God of miracle that brought him to power in 2020 in Bayelsa State is still much alive to deliver the Osun election to PDP.

“I am here in Ede with my colleague, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and my very senior colleague, former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki. We have been here to support our brother. If you will recall that on the day of our mega rally, I sang a song, and the song says ‘power belongs to God.’ With this result by INEC, it has been proven that power belongs to God. And I told you that I am a miracle governor and prayed that the miracle robs off on Osun election. And so, we are all happy and excited.

“Let me on behalf of my National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and the presidential candidate of our party in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, say a very big congratulations to the dancing, loving, loveable, straight forward, honest, governor-elect. You are now the dancing governor.”

Governor Diri described the victory as the will of the people and a statement of intention by the PDP ahead of the 2023 general election, saying the “PDP is coming.”

Diri stated, “You see, we came in here to campaign and after the campaign, we stayed back here with him and from the day of the campaign, I clearly told him that there was an organic support for the candidate and for the party, and it has been so proven. Let no man play the role of God. And I have also told you that this election is not only for the Osun State, this election was a national election, this election was a test election for 2023. I warn you PDP is coming in 2023.”