The national secretary of the All Progressives Congress, senator Surajudeen Basiru, on Sunday, August 30, visited Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke, in Osogbo to congratulate him on his re-election.
A video of the meeting posted on X by Ayekooto showed Basiru outlining three reasons for the visit.
He first thanked Adeleke for attending the final rites of his late mother and visiting him during his period of bereavement earlier this year.
Basiru said he delayed the reciprocal visit until after the recent governorship election because of politics, as he had actively campaigned against Adeleke.
He said Adeleke’s gesture during his bereavement was one he could not overlook because of political differences.
“You are the chief executive officer, and you still find time. And not only that you came to my personal house to extend your condolences to me, you also frontally attended. I cannot, because of politics, gloss over that act of charity,” Basiru said.
He explained that he had avoided visiting Adeleke during the election period because his action could have been misunderstood.
“But politics can be very toxic. People will say, ‘Ah, we are doing election, oh, we are in the field.’ And I was campaigning vigorously against you, sir,” he said.
Basiru acknowledged that he campaigned for APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji during the election.
“I campaigned vigorously against you at that election. Fortunately, God gives power,” he said.
The APC national secretary also congratulated Adeleke on his re-election victory, despite having supported his opponent.
He admitted that he wanted Oyebamiji to win the election but said the outcome demonstrated that political power ultimately came from God.
“I wanted Oyebamiji to win that election, my candidate that I worked for in that election. But as it were, Allah (God) alone can give power to whoever He wants,” Basiru said.
He said democratic practice required political actors to recognise and accept the outcome of elections.
“And of course, as a student of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the democrat, I must also at every point in time recognise that in a democratic contest, one must win, and the struggle continues,” he said.
Basiru also thanked Adeleke for endorsing president Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
He said some people had expected the governor to withdraw his earlier endorsement after winning the governorship election.
“I read both news media and social media, some people expected you (Adeleke) that having won the election, would renege on earlier promise to endorse Tinubu,” he said.
Basiru praised Adeleke for maintaining his position, saying the governor had “stood firm” on his earlier endorsement of Tinubu.
The visit followed the Osun governorship election in which Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji.
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