Osun governorship election: Buhari congratulates Adeleke, as Aregbesola goes biblical

Barely hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sunday morning, declared Senator Ademola Adeleke, as winner in last Saturday’s governorship poll, President Muhammadu Buhari has sent in his congratulatory message to the victorious Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

This is, however, as another All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola opted to go biblical in his reaction to Senator Adeleke’s victory at the poll.

Congratulating Adeleke for his victory in the Osun governorship elections conducted last Saturday and the result announced by INEC, Sunday morning, President Buhari expressed ‘conviction that the people of Osun have expressed their will through the ballot, and the will of the people must always matter and be respected in a democracy.’

A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Sunday, quoted Buhari as noting that ‘the successful conduct of the election is a further testimony to the maturity and commitment of all stakeholders – the electoral body, security agencies, political parties, the media, civil society and the electorate- to further strengthen the integrity of the electoral process in the country.’

“The President reassures the nation that the commitment of the current administration towards having credible elections remains unshaken,” Shehu said.

Meanwhile, also reacting to Senator Adeleke’s emergence as winner of the Osun governorship election, Ogbeni Aregbesola, a sworn political enemy of the incumbent state governor, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, took to his Facebook page to declare that the ‘Most High ruleth in the affairs of men.’

Aregbesola, a Muslim, and also member of the APC has been at dagger drawn with the governor, Alhaji Oyetola for months since the conduct of the controversial state primary of the APC which produced the latter, a development which has further factionalised the party.

Aregbesola was also conspicuously absent during the mega rally organized by the APC in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, ahead of the now-concluded election.

Oyetola is also heavily-backed by the APC presidential candidate in the 2023 General Elections, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

However, reacting to Adeleke’s victory, Aregbesola quoted from the Book of Daniel in the Bible to send home bare his mind, in the now deleted message.

“The Most High ruleth in the affairs of men…

“Osun Le Tente,” Aregbesola posted.

“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men – (Daniel 4:17).”

However, hours after the post, the Minister, through his Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, denied posting the statement.

A statement quickly drafted by the Minister via his verified Twitter handle (@raufaregbesola), denied responsibility for the post on his Facebook page, saying it was ‘unauthorised.’

The statement titled;  ‘IGNORE UNAUTHORIZED MESSAGE POSTED ON OGBENI RAUF AREGBESOLA’S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES,’ was signed by Sola Fasure, the Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Sunday.

“It has come to the attention of the media office of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, that an unauthorized message was posted on his Verified Twitter & Facebook Pages at about 8:00am on Sunday 17th July, 2022.

“The unauthorized messages have now been deleted. Members of the public, especially the media, are advised to ignore!” read the statement.

Also reacting to Adeleke’s victory, another chieftain of the ruling APC and Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, on his part, went literary, as he quoted a passage from English classical novelist, Mark Twain.

Reacting via his Facebook page, Sunday, Governor el-Rufai said: “SUNDAY WISDOM: It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense — Mark Twain.”