President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday congratulated Rauf Aregbesola, incumbent governor of Osun State, on his victory in Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.
President Jonathan, who also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and national security agencies for ensuring that the elections were free, fair, credible and peaceful, in keeping with the avowed commitment of his administration, thanked the people of Osun State for their massive turn-out to exercise their franchise.
President Jonathan’s message was conveyed in a statement signed by Rueben Abati, his media aide.
According to the statement, “The President believes that the free, fair and peaceful conduct of the elections have fully reaffirmed his administration’s determination to positively reform Nigeria’s electoral processes.
“The outcome of the election has also given the lie to the false, unfair and uncharitable allegations that measures put in place by the Federal Government for the Ekiti and Osun States’ elections were partisan and designed to achieve a favourable outcome for his party”.
Babatunde Fashola, governor, Lagos State, congratulated Aregbesola, the people and government of Osun State for “a well-fought and won election, in spite of intimidation and harassment by agencies of the ruling opposition party who sought to militarise the state during the event”.
Fashola’s message was contained in a statement signed by Hakeem Bello, his special adviser on media. “The ordinary people of the state of Osun have spoken the truth about their governor and the people-oriented policies of the All Progressives Congress. It could be possible to deny what is being said but certainly it is not possible to deny what the eyes could see.
State of Osun, like every other state under the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, remains a proof of our resolve to lead the people of Nigeria to a better rewarding future”, he said.
In the same vein, Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo State, in his congratulatory message signed by Peter Okhiria, his chief press secretary, said the wide margin of the victory was a validation of the confidence reposed in Aregbesola by the people to move Osun to greater heights.
Oshiomhole said: “I have seen a new lease of life for the people of the State of Osun over the past three-and-half years, due to the radical improvements in the quality of governance you introduced.
“It is gratifying to note that you have restored people-driven governance, reminiscent of the Obafemi Awolowo and Bola Ige eras, thus placing you firmly in the pantheon of the greats to have come from that part of the country”.
In their separate congratulatory messages, Kayode Fayemi and Abiola Ajimobi, governors of Ekiti and Oyo States, respectively, described the outcome of the election as an expression of the will of the people and the triumph of democracy and the rule of law.
Fayemi said Aregbesola’s victory was well deserved in view of the positive impact of his administration on the lives of the people of the state.
His statement, signed by Olayinka Oyebode, his chief press secretary, said he was confident that Osun State would witness a greater level of development in all spheres of life during Governor Aregbesola’s second term in office.
On his part, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said in a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday, by Festus Adedayo, his special adviser,
that the wild jubilation that trailed the announcement of Aregbesola’s victory showed that the result was representative of the will of the people of Osun State.
The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while congratulating Aregbesola, also commended Iyiola Omisore, its candidate, for “his impressive outing” which, according to the party, “confirms that PDP commands massive followership in the state”.
In a statement signed by Olisa Metuh, the party’s national publicity secretary, PDP also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for “creating the enabling environment for Osun people to freely and peacefully exercise their franchise without rancour or blood-letting.”
