The recently concluded Osun state governorship election, through which the incumbent Governor Ademola Jackson Adeleke, the candidate of the Accord Party (AP) emerged as the winner, and secured a second -term in office, with votes of 511,067 (51 88%) ahead of Bola Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who got 444,815 (45.15%) is worth a moment for sober reflection. That is more so, that he won the election against all manner of odds including threats and intimidation from the opposition political gladiators, part of which unfortunately resulted in the killings of 29 people in 73 violent incidents prelude to the election.
In fact, the sordid events that unfolded took one’s mind back to the thoughts of former South African President, Nelson Mandela (now of blessed memory) on Nigeria’s torrid political situation.
Said he: “Your leaders have no respect for their people. They believe that their personal interests are the interests of the people. They take people’s resources and turn it into personal wealth. There is a level of poverty in Nigeria that should be unacceptable. I cannot understand why Nigerians are not more angry than they are.” That was back in 2007, some 19 years ago.
