The Governor-elect of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has attributed his victory at the recent Osun State governorship election to the new Electoral Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking in a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, Adeleke, who defeated the incumbent governor of the state, Adegboyega Oyetola, said he owes his victory to President Buhari.
Adeleke said if not for the electoral act, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would have rigged the election as they did in 2018.
He said: “When I saw the congratulating message from the President I said this is great for our country and democracy is at play here and I’m sure after I received my Certificate of Return from INEC, I would plan to visit him and thank him for the message because most of the times, the opposition don’t congratulate the winners.
“Maybe the president is trying to leave a legacy and that the Electoral Act that he signed into that he meant it. I have to give the president the credit because if he didn’t sign the Electoral Act, there would be room for rigging because they did it in 2018.
But this election is great because everything is coming out as expected.”
The former senator thanked the Osun people for reclaiming their stolen mandate.
“I feel good because the people of Osun State have been yearning to reclaim their stolen mandate and it happened. So, I feel good and I’m proud of Osun people.
“I believe in God so much and I always have faith and I’m always a fighter. The more you are telling me that I can’t do something, the more determined I’m to do it.
Take for example, when they were talking about my education, I was determined to be a role model not that I need it because I’m already established in my business.
“But just because I want to be a role model to the young people and even to the adults, so I went back to school to let them know that I can do it at the age of 60.
And I did it and that was why I went back to the US to complete my education because I didn’t want to do it here. If I do it here, you know the Nigerian factor my opponent may be saying that because of my position the lecturers would help me. But in the US it is not like that because you have to work hard.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Adeleke winner of the election after polling 403,371 votes to defeat Governor Oyetola, who got 375,027 votes in a keenly contested race.
According to the total votes recorded by the electoral umpire, the PDP won 17 of the 30 local government areas of the state, while the APC won the remaining 13.
The PDP won in Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Egbedore, Odo Otin, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Olorunda, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Orolu, Ife North, Irepodun, and Ejigbo LGAs.
The APC, on the other hand, won in Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Ife South, and Ife East LGAs.