How Oyetola’s Performance Won Osun For APC. By Gbenga Faturoti

2019 general elections have come and gone but its effects will continue to linger on for sometimes to come across the 36 states of the federation.

While it was peaceful in some states, the exercise was marred with violence in others as some people were allegedly killed not only as a result of snatching of ballot boxes, electoral malpractices, manipulations and other electoral offences, innocent souls were lost in the skirmishes experienced before, during and after the poll.

Some politicians and political parties have also rejected the results based on the attendant violence recorded in these few places, while other have accepted and regarded it as an improvement on past exercises.

In Osun State, only State House of Assembly election was held on Saturday March 9th, 2019 and it was very peaceful. The election however coincided with 100 days in office of Mr. Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola as Governor of the State of Osun.

In the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ruling political party in the state, All Progressives Congress (APC) performed creditably well in the election by winning comfortable majority seats in the State House of Assembly.

The party won 22 seats out of 26 while the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won just three seats and the remaining one seat was declared inconclusive by the electoral body.

The PDP won in Ede-North, Ede-South and Obokun State Constituencies. Even, the one declared inconclusive, APC was comfortably leading.

The ruling APC also did well in the Presidential and National Assembly election held on February 23rd 2019 . It defeated PDP in the presidential election with a wide margin while it also won two out of three senatorial seats leaving one for PDP.

The APC further won six out of nine seats of the Federal House of Representatives while PDP had three seats.

Election in Osun State is a straight fight between the APC and PDP. Others parties having noticed their chances supported and work for the victory of either of the two main parties.

Critical assessment of the APC ‘s performance in the just concluded elections revealed that Governor Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola played critical factor in ensuring the victory for the party. Oyetola shortly after assuming office on November 27th 2018 met with all the people of Osun across local governments and wards where he obtained their demands and observed their needs especially the most critical.

He also made commitment with state workers assuring them to offset all their accumulated arrears of salaries and pension to retired one when opportunity arises and promised not only to retain their jobs but also to increase their monthly allowance.

Governor Oyetola also embarked on massive reconciliation with former APC members who dumped the party as a result of outcome of the party’s primary election. Uptill the last minutes to the just concluded polls, Oyetola was said to be talking to these aggrieved former APC members to return and appealing to them not to work against the party during the elections.

Impeccable sources revealed that Governor Oyetola who is desperate to have comfortable majority in the State House of Assembly even enlisted some notable traditional rulers to work on some of the aggrieved former members to woo them back into the fold of the party of which some returned on eve of the state assembly poll.

Oyetola was also able to bring political figures like Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore and Hon. Jelili Adesiyan, former Minister of State for Police Affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan among others into the fold of the party.

It would be recalled that Omisore and some notable chieftains of Social Democratic Party (SDP) assisted the APC to win the September 27th rerun governorship election in the state that brought Oyetola to office as Governor.

Oyetola was also observed by some political watchers in the state to have refrain himself from embarking on any reckless political talks either to members of the party or the opposition. His campaign has been issue based and no one has been able to hold him or his government over such reckless political talks or statement.

He is observed to be mature, experienced, easy going, hardworking and focused and as a result he has alot of people having interest and confidence in him and his government especially the ways and manner he handles the affairs of the state in the last 100days.

In the last 100 days in office of Gboyega Oyetola, he has met stakeholders and development partners, government and non-governmental obtaining their favours and commitment to critical assistance and partnership.

Oyetola’s government has within this period revitalise 332 healthcare centres covering each of the 332 wards of the state with a view to make quality healthcare equitably available to all citizens and residents irrespective of where they are staying.

Work has actually started on Ejigbo General Hospital and on completion, the hospital will have full complement of state-of-art equipment,  safe water, new children wards, medical personnel quarters and asphaltic internal road network for easy access. The project has three months completion period and hopefully in May 2019. It will gulp N300million.

Oyetola government has also commenced construction of ten roads across major towns and the roads are Ita-Akogun-Ayetoro road in Osogbo, Ile-Ife -Ijebu Jesa -Iloko-Ilesa linking Ilesa -Akure Expressway road, Orita Cottage -Oke Gada Road, Ede, Isare-Ifofin-Iloro -Akewusola Road, Ilesa, Ikirun-Iragbiji -Ororuwo road and Dele Yes Sir -Baba Fasanmi Oke Fia Road and GRA Osogbo.

Others Araromi Anaye market road in Iragbiji, Mobil Petrol Station Idi Oro Junction Court Junction Odebara junction Agodi junction Alasunkala junction in Ejigbo, Ikire (Naira and Kobo) Apomu Ikoyi road, linking Ife-Ibadan Expressway, and Odo Ori Adeeke Iwo Road linking Ibadan Expressway, Iwo.

The government has supported the empowerment of rural farmers and facilitate movement of goods, there is massive grading of rural roads being undertaken by the local government councils up to 500km

Oyetola’s government has sustained the youth empowerment programme involving 20,000 youths promising not only to retain them but also to increase their monthly stipends.

The above reasons have assisted the Adegboyega Oyetola led government in the state to attract votes during the just concluded general elections in the state.

Governor Oyetola said in his comment that the victory recorded by his political party was well deserving one that the party worked towards it assuring the people of the state that having comfortable majority in the state house of assembly will fast tract development.

Opposition parties have since been taking it cool as no report yet of challenging APC’s victory except that of the Governorship election won by Oyetola of which the petition is already at tribunal sitting in Abuja.