Arise TV journalist Rufai Oseni has claimed that President Bola Tinubu only congratulated Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election after “everything failed,” while commending the governor and his supporters for standing firm during the election.
Speaking on Arise TV, Oseni said Adeleke’s resilience and the support of Osun residents played a major role in the outcome, noting that replicating such resistance to electoral inducements across Nigeria would be difficult.
“It was after everything failed, President Tinubu congratulated,” Oseni said.
He added, “This Adeleke is very strong. His head is a bulldozer. Adeleke’s head is strong and the people loved him and they stood with him.”
However, Oseni pointed to vote buying as one of the major challenges undermining Nigeria’s electoral process, despite the rejection of inducements by some voters.
“Osun people can sing Ojutowoo, Ojutowoo, but they still collected the money. Those are the problems in our election process,” he said.
According to him, many voters still accept money because they want to support candidates they believe can win, rather than risk “wasting” their votes.
“Voters will only tilt to a candidate with the possibility of winning, because they don’t want to waste their votes,” Oseni explained.
He cautioned that the celebration over the election should not lead to complacency, arguing that voters remain vulnerable to “lie and propaganda.”
“It’s not yet Owuruu, o. People’s emotions are fickle and can be pumped with propaganda” he said.
