10th August, 2014
Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has congratulated his brother, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was re-elected as governor of Osun state early Sunday morning. Fashola described Aregbesola’s victory as a well-deserved one.
In a press statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello, Governor Fashola congratulated Aregbesola, the people and government of Osun for a well-fought and won election in spite of intimidation and harassment by agencies of the ruling opposition party who sought to militarize the state during the event.
He said the victory of Aregbesola on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would remain a strong indicator of the victory of truth over falsehood, pointing out that no matter the amount of pressure or intimidation to suppress them, the ultimate power rests on the people in a democracy.
“The ordinary people of the State of Osun have spoken the truth about their Governor and the people-oriented policies of the All Progressives Congress. It could be possible to deny what is being said but certainly it is not possible to deny what the eyes could see. The State of Osun, like every other state under the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, remains a proof of our resolve to lead the people of Nigeria to a better rewarding future,” he said.
Fashola also congratulated all members and supporters as well as the leadership of the All Progressives Congress nationwide for the well-deserved victory, urging them to work harder towards the other tasks ahead.
The governor expressed optimism that election times in Nigeria would become periods of interaction and healthy exchange of ideas among contestants and their parties instead of periods of mudslinging, harassment and intimidation of the electorate and perceived political enemies.
The election day itself, he said, should then be carnival-like with people freely going out to cast their votes without excessive militarization and harassment of perceived opponents as witnessed in recent elections.