‘Opposition wants Adeleke to be confrontational with Tinubu’ — Shehu Sani

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Human rights activist and former Senator, Shehu Sani, has said members of the opposition are unhappy with Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for appreciating President Bola Tinubu following his victory in the governorship election.

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Sani made the observation in a post on X on Monday, days after Adeleke was declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election.

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Adeleke, in his victory speech on Sunday, thanked Tinubu for what he described as the President’s support for a free and fair election in Osun. He also reaffirmed his backing for Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.

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Reacting to the development, Sani said some opposition figures expected Adeleke to adopt a more confrontational posture towards the President.

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“Most members of the opposition are not happy with Governor Adeleke for ‘thanking’ President Tinubu for his electoral victory. They want the Governor to be confrontational,” he said.

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According to Sani, Adeleke’s appreciation was understandable if the President played a role in ensuring that the governor’s electoral mandate was protected.

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“If the President had not been helpful in securing his mandate and preventing any attempt to tamper with it, the Governor wouldn’t have been so appreciative,” he said.

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Sani argued that winning an election involves more than securing votes at polling units, stressing that the subsequent collation and declaration stages are equally crucial.

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“Electoral victory is a product of two components; winning the votes and securing the collation and victory of the vote,” he said.

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The former lawmaker noted that some politicians had lost elections despite winning or performing strongly at the voting stage because they were unable to secure the outcome during the collation process.

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