President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Sunday congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the winner of the Osun State governorship election held on Saturday.
Jonathan also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the national security agencies for ensuring that the elections were free, fair, credible and peaceful in keeping with what he called “the avowed commitment of his administration.”
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Reuben Abati, Jonathan also applauded the people of Osun State who came out en masse on Saturday in all the local government areas of the state to peacefully and freely exercise their democratic right, trusting in his assurance that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure their safety and the sanctity of their votes.
“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,” Abati said.
“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 State elections were partisan and designed to achieve a favourable outcome for his party.
“As Governor Aregbesola prepares to begin a second term in office, President Jonathan looks forward to continuing to work with him and other state governors to further improve the living conditions of Nigerians in Osun and other states of the country.”
Fashola, while congratulating his “brother governor” for a well-deserved victory in a press statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, also commended the people and government of the State of Osun 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 said Aregbesola’s victory on the platform of the APC and the people of the State of Osun would remain a strong indicator of the victory of truth over falsehood pointing out that no matter the amount of pressure or intimidation to suppress them, the ultimate power rests on the people in a democracy.
“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,” Fashola said.
“The 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.
Fashola also congratulated all members and supporters as well as the leadership of APC nationwide for the well-deserved victory, urging them to work harder towards the other tasks ahead.
He expressed hope that election times in Nigeria would become periods of interaction and healthy exchange of ideas among contestants and their parties instead of periods of mudslinging, harassment and intimidation of the electorates and perceived political enemies.
The Election Day itself, he said, should then be carnival-like with people freely going out to cast their votes without excessive militarisation and harassment of perceived opponents as witnessed in recent elections.
