Osun poll: Tinubu’s restraint helped Adeleke win, says Accord Party chieftain

Former Accord Party presidential candidate Prof Chris Imumolen has disputed the assertion that President Bola Tinubu played no role in Governor Ademola Adeleke's victory in the August 15 Osun governorship election. Imumolen claims that attributing the win solely to Osun residents and Adeleke's performance overlooks Tinubu's democratic restraint during the election.

He argues that Tinubu's neutrality was remarkable given the political sensitivity and family ties involved. Imumolen points out that Tinubu refrained from using state power against Adeleke and allowed the electorate to make their choice. His conduct, Imumolen asserts, created a non-intimidating atmosphere for voters and political actors to make their decisions.

The former presidential candidate notes that Tinubu's decision not to turn the election into a battle within his party also contributed to the credibility of the electoral process. Imumolen stresses that Tinubu's restraint was particularly noteworthy as a sitting president with his party contesting the election. He clarifies that the claim that Tinubu offered no support to Adeleke's re-election bid does not imply the president campaigned for him or financed the bid.

Imumolen urges Adeleke and his supporters not to dismiss the significance of Tinubu's democratic behavior merely because the APC candidate lost the election. He insists that the governor's victory should not be used as a basis for historical revisionism, urging the acknowledgment of the circumstances that allowed the votes to determine the outcome.