The loss of the second term bid of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State is a personal blow to the political fortune of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It is not only because Governor Oyetola is Tinubu’s nephew and Osun is the original home State of the APC Presidential candidate, it deals a devastating blow to his trumpeted political invincibility.
The Jagbagan is generally believed to the godfather of South West politics who has a lock on the political fortunes of the area. It also sounds that the alarm that Nigeria may have entered the era of politics unusual.
Oyetola lost his reelection bid to Senator Ademola Adeleke whom he defeated four years ago.
Senator Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled a total of 403,371 votes in Saturday’s election was declared winner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation office in Osogbo in the early hours of Sunday.
The Governor-elect had lost the 2018 election to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola but returned four years later to unseat his rival, who now garnered 375, 027 votes.
Adeleke won 17 Local Government Areas while Oyetola secured victory in 13.
The political earthquake is being celebrated in different quarters.
A couple of minutes after the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC) declared the winner of the governorship election, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, who shunned the election dropped a cryptic note through his verified Facebook page, hinting that he was in support of the outcome of the exercise.
A devout Muslim, Aregbesola quoted Daniel 4:17 from the Bible: “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”
Responding to the Bible verse, Aregbesola wrote: “Osun Le Tente”, which could be loosely interpreted as “Osun is victorious.”
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has congratulated Sen. Ademola Adeleke, writing: “Light has come to Osun. Congratulations, Sen. @AAdeleke_01, on a well-fought victory. Also, hearty congratulations to the @OfficialPDPNig family and all stakeholders who came together to make this possible.
“Most importantly, congratulations to the great people of Osun State for proving that power indeed belongs to the people. -AA #OsunDecides #ImoleOsun.”
