No victor, no vanquished, Accord chair calls for unity after Osun election

Maxwell Mgbudem, National Chairman of the Accord Party, declared Governor Ademola Adeleke's re-election in Osun State a triumph of courage over fear and intimidation. Addressing reporters in Osogbo, Mgbudem highlighted the election as a testament to the people's determination to freely choose their governor and safeguard their votes despite significant challenges.

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We commend all Nigerians, civil society organisations, local and foreign election observers, the international community, the electoral umpire and security agencies. They prioritised electoral integrity and transparency and upheld democratic values, ethics, ethos and ideals during the Osun gubernatorial poll.

He characterized the election period as marked by harassment, intimidation, property destruction, arrests, and killings. Mgbudem dedicated the victory to the peace-loving people of Osun, who demonstrated faith in democratic participation and the Accord Party. He commended various stakeholders, including civil society organizations, election observers, the international community, the electoral umpire, and security agencies, for prioritizing electoral integrity and upholding democratic values.

Mgbudem emphasized a message of reconciliation, stating, "The election is over. The people of Osun State have won. There is no victor, no vanquished." He also praised candidates from other political parties who withdrew in favor of Adeleke, viewing it as a positive sign for political alliance and cooperation that could strengthen Nigeria's democracy. He urged all political actors to unite with the governor to advance the state's development, asserting that Osun State's interests supersede individual or political ambitions.

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We did it all together and once again made Nigeria proud. The election is over. The people of Osun State have won. There is no victor, no vanquished.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner with 511,067 votes, defeating his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who received 444,815 votes. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured third place with 17,180 votes. The total valid votes cast were 985,079 out of 1,005,800 total votes.

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The interest of the state is greater than individual and political interests.