Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party chieftain Oladipupo Adebutu has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election in Osun State as evidence that Nigerians have rejected the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Adebutu, a former governorship candidate in Ogun, made the assertion in a congratulatory message to Adeleke following the incumbent’s victory at the polls. In a statement signed by his media aide, Afolabi Orekoya, Adebutu said the outcome validates the will of the people and rewards governance focused on their welfare.
“I heartily congratulate my brother, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for proving that when the people stand firmly behind a leader, no force can subvert their will,” Adebutu said. “Adeleke’s strides in Osun are a proof of what the people really need. It is a symbol of hope and a clear indicator that the will of the people will always triumph over political deceit.”
The Osun governorship election, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, returned Adeleke for a second term. The returning officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, announced the final results early Sunday morning.
Adebutu framed the victory as a referendum on performance, arguing that Adeleke’s administration has delivered the kind of responsive leadership citizens across the country are demanding. He said the result should serve as a signal to political officeholders that empathy and accountability remain the surest path to electoral legitimacy.
The PDP chieftain’s remarks come amid growing scrutiny of the APC’s hold on power at both state and federal levels. With general Elections on the horizon, opposition figures have increasingly pointed to off-cycle contests as barometers of national sentiment.
Adeleke’s re-election strengthens the PDP’s foothold in the South West, where the party now controls two of the region’s six states. For Adebutu and other opposition leaders, the Osun outcome reinforces a narrative that effective governance, rather than party machinery, will determine electoral fortunes in the next cycle.
