Bola Oyebamiji
By John Dike, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday intensified its campaign for the August 15 Osun State governorship election, taking its message to Ede and Awo in Egbedore Local Government Area, where party leaders expressed confidence that the governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, AMBO, would secure victory despite Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political influence in his hometown.
Leading the campaign in Awo, the Director-General of the AMBO Campaign Organisation, Hon. Wole Oke, urged residents of Egbedore to vote massively for the APC, saying the election offered the people an opportunity to chart a new course for Osun State.
Oke recalled that the APC lost Egbedore Local Government in the 2023 election and appealed to party supporters to reverse the outcome by delivering overwhelming votes for Oyebamiji.
According to him, the APC has continued to record growing support across the state, citing the large turnout at campaign rallies in Ede and Awo as evidence that the party is gaining momentum ahead of the election.
The campaign director-general also criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s educational qualification, alleging that the governor lacks the educational capacity required to govern effectively and insisting that the state deserves competent and visionary leadership.
“Don’t vote for a governor who can’t read or write. Rather, vote for competence and someone with a good educational background,” Oke alleged.
He further accused the Adeleke administration of neglecting human capital development, particularly in Ede, the governor’s hometown.
According to Oke, public schools and healthcare facilities in Ede have deteriorated under the current administration despite the town producing the incumbent governor.
“Adeleke abandoned human capital development in Ede. The schools are in a poor state, the hospitals are in a poor state, and those are the things that matter to ordinary people,” he alleged.
While acknowledging that many political observers considered the APC the underdog in Ede, Oke expressed confidence that the party would surprise its opponents with the outcome of the election.
“We are being considered the underdog in Ede, but we will surprise them. You will see the votes that we will deliver,” he said.
Addressing supporters in Ede, the APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, expressed optimism that the town would deliver substantial votes for the APC despite being Governor Adeleke’s hometown.
“What we are expecting from Ede is a massive one,” Oyebamiji declared.
The APC standard-bearer assured residents that better days awaited Osun if elected, promising to provide purposeful leadership, improve infrastructure, create employment opportunities and implement programmes that would directly improve the welfare of the people.
He urged eligible voters to turn out in large numbers on election day and vote for the APC, assuring them that his administration would fulfil its promises and ensure inclusive development across the state.
Also speaking at the Ede rally, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly and APC leader in Ede, Rt. Hon. Adejare Bello, dismissed suggestions that the governor’s hometown would automatically vote for him.
Bello said the people of Ede had always maintained political diversity and should not be swayed by sentiment.
He disclosed that the Timi of Ede had consistently encouraged the people to remain politically open-minded and avoid placing all their support behind a single political tendency.
“The kind of votes Ede will deliver will surprise the whole world. The bulk of the votes that will return AMBO as governor will come from Ede,” Bello said.
According to him, voting for the APC would ensure that Ede remains relevant in the next administration.
“It is not about Adeleke being from Ede. We must vote for our party, the APC; otherwise, by the time AMBO becomes governor, it will be difficult for us to ask for things from the government,” he added.
Bello further revealed that Ede North ranked fourth during the APC membership registration exercise with over 5,000 registered members, expressing confidence that the party would dominate voting in the town.
“If there are 50,000 votes from Ede, we can boldly say we will secure 45,000 of them,” he said.
In Awo, APC chieftain Mr. Dotun Babayemi also appealed to residents of Egbedore to ensure a convincing victory for Oyebamiji in the local government.
“You all know that we lost here in the 2023 election. This time around, with your support, we will win in Egbedore. We assure you that when we assume office, you will all enjoy the dividends of good governance,” Babayemi said.
The campaign rallies attracted party leaders, supporters and residents from Ede, Awo and neighbouring communities, with the APC leadership expressing confidence that the party would make significant electoral gains across Osun State in the forthcoming governorship election.
