Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s Osun State election, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, on Friday called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to rein in his supporters and halt alleged attacks on members of the opposition party in the state.
Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, made the appeal while speaking with journalists at the State House, Abuja, shortly after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The APC candidate alleged that attacks on members of his party had continued after the election, claiming that four or five persons were attacked in his hometown, Ikire, on Friday morning.
He said the incidents had been reported to security agencies, urging Adeleke to prevail on his supporters to embrace peace and allow political actors in the state to coexist without violence.
“I want to advise the governor that it’s important for him to talk to his people. Violence against our people is not too good, and he needs to talk to them so that each and every one of us can be on the same page,” Oyebamiji said.
Asked to shed more light on concerns he had earlier raised over alleged attacks on APC members following the declaration of the governorship election results, Oyebamiji said the situation had persisted.
“Well, yes. Even as at this morning, in my own village, Ikire, some were attacked; about four, five people were attacked. We have informed the security operatives accordingly. That’s what I have to say about that,” he said.
Oyebamiji, however, appealed to APC members and his supporters across Osun State to remain calm and peaceful, stressing that electoral contests should not be allowed to undermine the peace of the state.
“The most important thing is to run every election with peaceful mind. It is important for us that we Nigerians have to know that government is about people, and it’s about people, and it’s about people, and because it’s about people, it is important that we need to be peaceful and I want to appeal to our people in Osun that they need to be peaceful,” he said.
The APC candidate also disclosed that the party was still reviewing the outcome of the August 15 governorship election and had yet to take a final decision on its next course of action.
He said the party would make its position public after completing its examination of the election results and other relevant records.
“For now, the APC is still examining the books, and by the time we spread our sheets, we’ll be able to get back to the public on what our own opinions and what decisions we want to take, but the take home is that they should be calm,” Oyebamiji said.
Oyebamiji’s visit to the Presidential Villa came less than 24 hours after Adeleke met President Tinubu at the State House on Thursday.
Adeleke, who contested the August 15 election on the platform of the Accord Party, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 511,067 votes.
Oyebamiji, his closest challenger, scored 444,815 votes, leaving a margin of 66,252 votes between the two leading candidates.
Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried 11.
Following his meeting with Tinubu on Thursday, Adeleke had thanked the President for allowing what he described as a free and fair election in Osun, saying Tinubu’s conduct reflected his longstanding commitment to Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
Oyebamiji’s comments yesterday, however, indicated that the APC was keeping its options open over the outcome of the election, even as he urged party members to remain peaceful pending the conclusion of its review.