After months of campaigns, political tension, accusations, counteraccusations, intense competition and muscle-flexing, the much-talked-about governorship election in Osun State was held on Saturday, with a winner, in the person of Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, emerging on Sunday.
Irrespective of the next step his rivals, who are expectedly not happy with the outcome, may be planning to take, the campaigns are completely over, and the rallies have ended. Campaign posters will gradually disappear from the streets. The songs, slogans and campaign uniforms will give way to the reality of governance. An election is not an end in itself; it is a means of choosing those who will serve the people.
There must be life after elections. It is therefore imperative for all political actors, supporters and residents to accept that the contest is over and focus on the bigger task of moving the state forward. Usually, winners and losers alike emerge after elections, but the state belongs to everybody, including those who voted for Adeleke, those who voted against him and even those who did not vote at all. Political differences should not translate into permanent hostility. Families, friends and communities should not remain divided because of an election that took place on only one day.
One major lesson from this election is that elections should never be do-or-die. We are all witnesses to the tension and disturbing incidents that preceded the election, including reports of political violence and intimidation, some of which I mentioned here twice. No matter the pressure or provocation, nobody should kill or be killed merely because another person wants to become governor. Treating elections as wars that must be won at all costs is dangerous and unnecessary.
Adeleke has every reason to celebrate his victory and thank the people who stood by him, and he has been doing that since Sunday. However, the celebration should be brief; work should begin in earnest. His re-election is both a reward and a fresh mandate. The people who voted for him have reposed their confidence in him again, and he must justify that confidence. He should not see the victory as a licence to relax because he has been given another term. Rather, he should see it as a challenge to do better and leave a stronger legacy.
The honeymoon is a short one. To whom much is given, much is expected. He should get down to work immediately. In doing that, he has his job already cut out for him. On security, he must work hard to ensure that residents can live, travel and do business without fear. He should continue and improve infrastructure development across the state, create opportunities for young people and support businesses, improve public schools and ensure that children from poor homes are not denied quality education, make quality healthcare more accessible, support farmers and strengthen food production, and continue to address issues affecting civil servants and retirees.
The list is endless, but above all, Adeleke must govern without bitterness and avoid discriminating against areas or people because of how they voted. He must constantly remind himself that he is a governor for all, not only for party supporters. This is particularly important after a fiercely contested election. He should remember that his oath of office is to the entire state, not to one political party. He must extend a hand of reconciliation to political opponents. There should be no victimisation or punishment of communities because they voted for the opposition. The best response to opposition criticism should be good governance and performance.
For the losers and their supporters, it is true that defeat is painful, particularly after investing time, resources and energy heavily in a campaign. However, political maturity requires that elections should not lead to the destruction of the state. Where there are genuine grievances about the conduct or outcome of an election, the law provides avenues for seeking redress, but supporters should not be encouraged to resort to violence or acts capable of destabilising the state. The opposition still has a responsibility to hold the government accountable and offer constructive alternatives.
With the 2027 general elections knocking on the door, there are lessons for all to pick from the Osun election. Ahead of the general elections, political leaders must moderate their language, while their supporters should understand that politicians often reconcile after elections, while ordinary followers are left with the consequences of violence. The country must move away from the mentality that losing an election means losing everything. Democracy thrives when people can compete fiercely without becoming enemies.
The ballot has spoken, and the contest is over. Osun cannot afford to remain permanently trapped in election mode. The winner should celebrate briefly and then return to work, while those who lost should remember that their love for Osun must not depend on who occupies the Government House.
Elections will come and go, governors will come and go, but Osun will remain. What matters now is not who insulted whom during the campaign or which party won the loudest rallies. What matters is whether the people will enjoy the dividends of democracy. No election should ever be a do-or-die affair, and no victory is complete until it translates into better lives for the people. The task before the re-elected governor is therefore clear: justify the confidence reposed in him and move Osun forward. All other stakeholders should join hands in ensuring peace, stability and development.
By Olalekan Adetayo