No victor, no vanquished, Accord chair calls for unity after Osun election

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The National Chairman of the Accord Party, Maxwell Mgbudem, has described the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke as a triumph of courage over fear and intimidation.

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Addressing a news conference on Monday in Osogbo, Mgbudem said the election was a powerful testament to the people’s resolve to freely and peacefully choose their governor and protect their votes despite all odds.

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He said the electioneering period was characterised by unusual harassment, intimidation, destruction of property, arrests, detention and killings.

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Mgbudem said the victory was dedicated to the peace-loving people of the state, who had demonstrated their abiding faith in democratic participation and the party.

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“We commend all Nigerians, civil society organisations, local and foreign election observers, the international community, the electoral umpire and security agencies.

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“They prioritised electoral integrity and transparency and upheld democratic values, ethics, ethos and ideals during the Osun gubernatorial poll.

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“We did it all together and once again made Nigeria proud.

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“The election is over. The people of Osun State have won. There is no victor, no vanquished,” he said.

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The Accord chairman commended the candidates of other political parties who stepped down for Adeleke, describing the gesture as a strong signal of political alliance, cooperation and partnership that would deepen the nation’s democracy.

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He, however, urged other political parties, candidates, members and supporters to close ranks and work with the governor to make the state great again.

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“Osun State belongs to all its citizens.

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“The interest of the state is greater than individual and political interests,” he said.

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INEC, in the early hours of Sunday, declared Adeleke the winner after polling 511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes.

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The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, who declared the results at the INEC collation centre, said the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

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Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said the total valid votes cast were 985,079, while 20,721 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 1,005,800.(NAN)

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