The governor of Osun state expressed mixed feelings shortly after he was declared winner by Bamitale Omole, who served as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer.

  Addressing the crowd, Aregbesola attributed his victory to hard work, focus and dedication of his administration.

“Let me assure the good people of Osun State that I appreciate that this victory is a reward for our hard work and commitment to the welfare of our people.

“I promise that we shall not rest on our oars but shall be spurred to work even harder with all people of the State of Osun and the generality of Nigerians to continue to enjoy your trust and support.”

Aregbesola assured the people that that he would leave no stone unturned in his continued effort to transform the state.

“I realise that this victory and the challenges we went through is a call to greater service and sustained commitment to our people.

“I pledge to rededicate myself to the service of our people and the strengthening of democratic values in Osun and Nigeria generally.”

The Governor said through the election, Osun people have demonstrated that in a democracy, power truly belongs to the people.

He pledged that he would not betray the confidence that was reposed in him.

Aregbesola saluted the steadfastness, courage, loyalty, commitment and fierce determination of Osun people to defend their sovereign rights and the integrity of the nation’s nascent democracy.

“On behalf of my party, we are delighted to claim victory for our hard work, focus and dedication in this election.

“I thank the Almighty God for our triumph at the polls, against all odds.”

Aregbesola also spoke in the aftermath of his victory in his acceptance speech by tasking Nigerians on “the need to rescue the nation from the present political bondage” into which, he said, the PDP-led Federal Government has entangled the country.

Aregbesola lamented that Nigeria remains in political bondage even at this time, stressing that there is urgent need to set the nation free.

He explained that he was made to face great number of “traumatic challenges” before and during the election, saying it was God Almighty that saved him.

Aregbesola noted that the situation was so sad and unfortunate that the contest that should be a normal, routine process was allowed to “snowball in to a needless virtual war by the Federal Government and the PDP”.

According to him, “Ordinarily, this should be a moment of joy and celebration consequent upon the hard earned triumph of the people’s will.

“However, this election shows that democracy is still gravely endangered in Nigeria. We witnessed gross abuse of power and undue process before, during, and even after the actual voting process”.

The Governor bemoaned that Osun State was unduly militarised in an unprecedented manner through criminal intimidation and psychological assault on the people.

He was sad that the election witnessed an abuse of security agencies amounted to a corruption of their professional ethics and integrity.

He added that the security agencies were unprofessionally utilised in Osun State to harass, intimidate and oppress the people whose taxes were used to pay the salaries of the operatives.

“Hundreds of leaders, supporters, sympathisers and agents of our party were arrested and detained.

“Also, hundreds of other innocent citizens, including women and the aged were harassed, brutalised and traumatised.

“In spite of this condemnable repression and abuse of human rights, the unflagging spirit of our people triumphed.

“Our victory is due to the steadfastness and resolute determination of our people to assert and defend their rights. The PDP obviously did all it could in a most desperate manner to steal the people’s mandate,” Aregbesola said.

The Governor said “despite our victory, it is pertinent to condemn and also point out the fact that the number of accredited voters in most local governments was less than half of registered voters.

“Against this trend, it is curious that the bulk of the PDP candidate’s votes came from only four local governments-namely Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North and Ife South.”

Aregbesola said the outcome of this election reflected the unswerving determination of Osun people to ensure that democracy triumphs in Nigeria.

He noted that Osun people have sent a strong signal to all and sundry that no might is powerful enough to thwart the will of the people.

“This should always strengthen our resolve to ensure that as from now on, every vote must not only be counted in Osun but must count in this country as a whole.

“Nobody or party must ever exercise power unreasonably at any level except in accordance with the will of the people to whom sovereignty belongs,” Aregbesola said.