A presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Sam Nda-Isaiah, has said the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State has demystified the so-called dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and federal might.
The incumbent governor of Osun State and candidate of the APC, Rauf Aregbesola defeated 19 other candidates to emerge victorious in the August 9 election.
Mr. Nda-Isaiah, said in a statement by the Media Director of his Campaign Organisation, Macauley Hunohashi, on Monday that “in spite of criminal intimidation, unprecedented militarization and psychological assault on APC supporters and the people of Osun State, the outcome of the election is a clear testimony that Rauf Aregbesola is being rewarded for his hardwork and commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of the State.”
The APC presidential aspirant, who is also the publisher of the Leadership Newspapers, congratulated the elected governor, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the security agencies for the role they played in ensuring that a free, fair and credible electoral process was entrenched.
He said the “Osun victory is a litmus test and a working template for winning future elections, including the 2015 presidential polls.”
Also in a statement on Monday, the United Progressives Party, UPP, congratulated Mr. Aregbesola for “his resounding victory at the recently concluded governorship election in Osun State.”
The party, in the statement signed by its National Chairman, Chekwas Okorie, also congratulated the people of Osun State for their massive turnout to elect the governor of their choice in an unfettered atmosphere devoid of violence and undue manipulation.
It said that it could rightly said that the people of the state had spoken.
“The professional conduct of the security agencies and the civility of their personnel are also worthy of commendation,” the party said.
The UPP also commended “in a special way” the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for living up to its promise to deliver a credible election in Osun State.
“The performance of the Commission is an improvement on its equally commendable performance in Ekiti State.
“We pray and hope that the Commission will continue to inspire confidence in the electorate. In this way there will be less rancor and litigation after elections as was the case in the past,” it stated.
The opposition party also said it was proud of President Goodluck Jonathan’s determination to transform Nigeria’s chaotic electoral process to enviable world class standard.
“We urge him to sustain this style of allowing the Commission the required free-hand to deliver credible, transparent and acceptable election in Nigeria. INEC should not be starved of the necessary funds to carry out its statutory functions without constraint.
“We believe that it is healthy for our democracy for greater number of Nigerians to participate in the electoral process. The fact that the power of ordinary Nigerians to determine through the electoral process who represents or governs them at all levels has been restored will make campaigns and electioneering very robust, vibrant and issue based.
“Nigerians are becoming more politically conscious and more aware of their inherent powers as bona fide citizens of the country to effect leadership change by exercising their franchise in elections without restrictions.
The UPP said with transparent elections in place political parties’ manifestoes would now begin to take the centre stage during campaigns.
“This is likely to signal the end of the deployment of excessive force including thugs and other dubious means
to win election.
“Popular political parties and popular candidates will begin to win elections without necessarily having large financial war chests. Nigeria’s hope of survival and rapid development are predicated on the credibility, transparency and acceptability of the 2015 general election.”
The party asked Nigerians to support and encourage INEC to continue the “good work.”
