Bamidele Urges Oyebamiji to Congratulate Adeleke

….Sets 10m South-West Votes Target for Tinubu

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the Osun State election, Bola Oyebamiji, to accept the outcome of the poll and congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election.

Bamidele, who chairs the National Assembly South-West Caucus, also called on the APC to draw lessons from the Osun election and strengthen its political strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued on Monday, he said the election had once again demonstrated that political power ultimately rests with the electorate.

Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, won the election with 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji of the APC, who secured 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, came third with 17,180 votes.

Bamidele urged all contestants to accept the result in good faith, while calling on Adeleke to reach out to opposition parties and promote unity across political divides.

He said the governor’s victory came with the responsibility to unite the people of Osun State and run an inclusive administration that would benefit residents regardless of their political affiliations.

The Senate Leader specifically appealed to Oyebamiji to congratulate Adeleke and make available any policy ideas that could contribute to the development of the state.

Bamidele argued that the APC’s defeat should not be regarded entirely as a setback, recalling Adeleke’s previous affiliation with the party and his support for President Bola Tinubu.

APC Targets 10 Million Votes for Tinubu in South-West

Bamidele said the Osun election offered valuable lessons for the APC as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

He noted that the 51.57 per cent voter turnout recorded in Osun indicated the possibility of increasing participation across the South-West, with the party targeting at least 60 per cent turnout in the region in 2027.

According to him, stronger collaboration among political stakeholders could enable the APC to mobilise at least 10 million votes for President Tinubu’s re-election from the South-West.

He urged the party to deepen its engagement with artisans, traders, farmers, entrepreneurs, youths, women, labour unions, civil society organisations, traditional rulers and other key stakeholders.

Bamidele said broader engagement and strategic mobilisation would be critical to strengthening the APC’s electoral fortunes and achieving its 2027 objectives in the South-West.