By OLUSOJI DAOMI
There are elections that produce winners. There are elections that produce victors. And then there are elections that produce a message.
The re-election of Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke is one of those elections where the ballot box appears to have spoken in a language even the most stubborn political interpreter cannot misunderstand. Osun has spoken.
And this time, Osun did not merely speak. Osun sang. Osun danced. Osun celebrated.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, fondly described by his critics before the election as the “Dancing Governor”, has once again demonstrated that sometimes, the man who dances is not necessarily running away from responsibility. Sometimes, he is simply celebrating the people who gave him the opportunity to serve.
Yes, Adeleke dances. But what exactly is wrong with dancing? Is leadership measured by the stiffness of the face of a governor? Must a governor look perpetually angry before we conclude that he is working? Can a man dance and still build roads? Can he dance and still improve education? Can he dance and still attract investment? Can he dance and still touch the lives of ordinary citizens?
The answer, as Osun has now demonstrated, is yes. Adeleke has danced. But he has also governed. He has danced. But he has also delivered. He has danced. But he has also connected with the people. And perhaps that is the secret of his political success. Happiness is contagious. When a leader is genuinely happy, the people around him can feel it. When the people are happy, hope begins to grow. When hope grows, productivity increases. When productivity increases, prosperity becomes possible. And when prosperity takes root, development follows.
So, if Adeleke chooses to dance while doing his job, perhaps we should allow the man to dance. After all, Osun has already danced with him to the ballot box. The figures emerging from the election tell an interesting story. In 2022, Adeleke secured 403,371 votes, while the APC candidate polled 375,027 votes. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke won 50.8 per cent of the 1,005,800 votes cast across the state’s 3,763 polling units in his re-election. The remaining 14 candidates shared 49.2 per cent of the votes, with All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji taking the largest share at 44.2 per cent while the remaining 13 candidates cumulatively shared 5 per cent.
That meant Adeleke had already received 26,332 votes more than his entire 2022 total.
Numbers, they say, do not dance. They simply speak. And these numbers spoke loudly.
They spoke of a governor who succeeded in retaining the confidence of a significant portion of the electorate. They spoke of a political movement that survived criticism, opposition, controversy and the noise that naturally accompanies Nigerian politics.
But beyond the numbers lies something even more important.
The people voted. And their votes must be respected. There had been fears and apprehensions before the election. There had been political tension. There had been ugly incidents and disturbing reports of violence. Yet, when the people finally approached the ballot boxes, the fundamental democratic principle prevailed: the people had the opportunity to express their choice. That choice must be respected.
And President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves commendation if, as the conduct of the election suggested, the Federal Government allowed the democratic process to breathe and permitted the votes of the people to count. Democracy becomes meaningful only when the voter believes that his thumbprint is more powerful than the godfather’s instruction. It becomes meaningful when the ballot can defeat intimidation. It becomes meaningful when the people’s choice can emerge without manipulation. That is why Adeleke’s victory should not merely be celebrated as a personal political triumph. It should be understood as a responsibility.
The people of Osun have given him another opportunity. Another mandate. Another four years to prove that their confidence was not misplaced. And this is where the real work begins. Election is over. Campaign posters will soon disappear. Political songs will fade.
Campaign vehicles will return to garages. Microphones will be switched off. The politicians who spent months abusing one another will eventually shake hands at one function or another.
That is politics. But governance remains. The roads remain. The schools remain. The hospitals remain. The workers remain. The farmers remain. The young people remain. The unemployed remain. The entrepreneurs remain. The vulnerable remain. Osun remains. Therefore, Governor Adeleke must now govern not merely for those who voted for him, but also for those who voted against him. That is the true test of victory. A man who wins an election is a politician. A man who wins the confidence of those who opposed him is a statesman. This is why there should be no room for revenge.
Politics is over. The election is over. The campaign is over. Let the wounds heal. Let former opponents return to the table. Let those who criticised him be heard. Let those who opposed him be accommodated where their contribution can benefit Osun. Let even those who exchanged harsh words with him during the campaign discover that governance requires broader shoulders than politics. Victory is sweetest when the victor is magnanimous. Governor Adeleke must therefore resist every temptation to settle old political scores.
He should not govern from the bitterness of yesterday. He should govern from the promise of tomorrow. The people did not give him another mandate so that he could spend four years looking backwards. They gave him the mandate to look forward. Osun needs more development. Osun needs stronger institutions. Osun needs better roads. Osun needs quality education. Osun needs improved healthcare. Osun needs jobs. Osun needs investment. Osun needs security. Osun needs opportunities for young people. Osun needs a government that listens. And Osun needs a governor who understands that the office belongs to the people.
Adeleke has already demonstrated that he knows how to win elections. Now, he must demonstrate that he knows how to convert electoral victory into enduring legacy. The people will be watching. The opposition will be watching. History will be watching. And history has no permanent political party. History only records what a man did with the opportunity placed in his hands.
So, to Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, congratulations. Dance, if you must. Celebrate, because victory deserves celebration. Smile, because the people have spoken. But after the music stops, return to work. After the drums go silent, listen to the people. After the celebration, remember the responsibility. Osun has given you another opportunity to write your name in the history of the State. Write it with development. Write it with compassion. Write it with justice. Write it with inclusion. Write it with courage. Write it with humility. Write it with service. And above all, write it in such a way that when the music finally stops and the dancing is over, the people of Osun will still have reasons to smile.
Governor Adeleke has danced his way into another mandate. Now, let him build his way into history. He did not merely dance. He built. He united. He delivered. He left Osun better than he met it.
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