Enugu—Member, Board of Trustee (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Jim Nwobodo; a former Presidential aspirant, Charles Udeogaranya; and a former governorship candidate in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, have described the electoral victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State as a preamble to the prospective fortunes of the PDP in next year’s general elections.
Reacting to Adeleke’s declaration as Governor-elect of Osun State, Nwobodo, gave credit to the people of Osun State whom he said still found Adeleke dear to their hearts and massively voted for him in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
Nwobodo recalled that Adeleke had in 2018 won the same Governorship position through the ballots, but was robbed of victory through the rigging machinery of the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nwobodo said: “Adeleke’s victory is a forerunner to the electoral fortunes of the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar. Adeleke’s victory shows that Atiku will win the Presidency and is also an indication that the PDP will do well in the South West and the other geopolitical zones.
“I congratulate the Governor-elect of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke for his victory in the well-conducted polls last Saturday. Senator Adeleke had won in the last Governorship poll in the state but was denied his victory. This time, he has won again in another clear victory and I congratulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a credible poll in Osun State.
“I also congratulate the PDP in Osun State for this victory which is a forerunner and an indication that Atiku Abubakar will win the Presidential Election for PDP in 2023. Atiku will win the Presidency for PDP.
Also reacting to the victory of the PDP, a former Presidential aspirant, Charles Udeogaranya commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for a job well done while also adding that President Buhari has written his name in gold by being among the first to congratulate the PDP and the governor-elect.
Udeogaranya prayed that the transparency of INEC as witnessed in Osun State be replicated in 2023 and urged the President to remain committed to a free and fair election in 2023.
He said: “I congratulate President Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the Osun State election and the transparency shown at the election. President Buhari has written his name in gold by the credible, transparent, and violent-free election in Osun State election and I hope he replicates the same in the 2023 general elections.”
Similarly, an All Progressives Congress, APC, and former governorship candidate in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has blamed internal crisis, arrogance, reliance on the power of incumbency, and poor reward system for the inability of the party to win the just-concluded Osun State governorship election.
Nwosu, in a statement, shortly after the result was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, noted that the APC leadership allowed the internal crisis to engulf the structure of nearly all the states, adding that the loss the APC suffered in Osun State was self-inflicted.
He stressed further that the arrogance of the people in power had led them to play God while losing the commitment of the party faithful.
According to him, “APC lost because the party leadership allowed the internal crisis to kill the structures in all the States, secondly, arrogance contributed to the fall of the party, they believe that once you’re in power no one can do anything. APC has always believed in the power of incumbency and also remembers that we have been saying that their reward system is zero. For instance, the founding fathers of the party are relegated to please new members. Look at how they treated the former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, see how he was relegated, a founding member of the party and they believed he can’t do anything, he should go to hell. They have seen it now”
On whether the party can still bounce back ahead of the 2023 general elections, Nwosu lamented that the party does not have the luxury of time to make amends.
He said, “it is getting late, in fact, it is already late for the APC to retrace its steps. If they wanted to make corrections, they could have done that since they had every opportunity to do that, but because some of the leaders in the party are very arrogant, they don’t care, they are selfish and only think about themselves and we’ve been shouting about this but no one cared to listen, they think that once you become a governor then you have everything and nothing else matters anymore.
“I strongly blame the leadership of our party for the woes that have befallen the APC, God gave us power in 2015 and became arrogant with the power, we no longer care what happens, how the people feel, we don’t care how the founding fathers of the party are treated, see where the arrogance has gotten us today”.
