Oyetola’s electoral loss: What went wrong

In this report, DEBORAH OLADEJO looks at the factors responsible for the loss of Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, who failed to get a reelection after he was defeated by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, in the governorship election held in the state last Saturday

The shock wave generated by the defeat suffered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 16 governorship election in Osun State is still reverberating across the state and beyond.

From all indications, the ruling party can be said to have prepared very well for the election and the Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, was sure of victory. Although, the governor expressed the confidence of being re-elected many times, this failed to materialise, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke, was crowned the winner.

The endorsements by different bodies, such as artisans, religious organisations, youths, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Joint Council (NJC), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), student bodies, market men and women, could not save Oyetola from the jaws of defeat.

According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke polled 403,371 votes to defeat Governor Oyetola, who scored 375,027 votes. In addition, PDP won in 17 local governments, while APC won the remaining 13. 

Internal crisis within the APC

While Oyetola can be judged to have performed well in the last three and half years, relative to available resources, his electoral defeat has been pinned to many factors, chief of which is the internal crisis that rocked and is still rocking the APC.

The party failed to settle the crisis within, approaching the election divided. Although, members of the other faction of the party loyal to the former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, who call themselves The Osun Progressives (TOP) said several times that they won’t leave the APC, it was obvious that their stay was injurious to the success at the poll.

Political pundits noted that Oyetola and his advisers, instead of reaching out to those aggrieved, had the false notion that they could win the election on their own.

“Some political appointees of the governor deceived him,” a source said.

Political appointees alienated themselves from people

Even some of the appointees did not live up to expectations at their various constituencies. Many of them were said not to be good to their constituents and were not making themselves available to their own people.

By this, they presented a bad image of the government before the people.

Osogbo, which happened to be the stronghold of APC, lost woefully to the PDP because of the failure of party leaders in the capital city to reach out to real voters.

On the day of election, while the PDP leaders were fully on ground, only the Director General of the campaign organisation, Senator Ajibola Basiru, could be seen mobilizing voters.

Distrust among government workers

Another factor that worked against Oyetola, according to findings, was the position of the state’s public workers on the policies of government to the civil service.

WesternPost gathered that civil servants voted massively for the PDP during the election.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the state’s workforce were not happy with the governor in addition to the fear that he may stop paying their salaries if he was re-elected.

One of their grievances was that there was no increment in their salaries. According to them, it was statutory that every year, their salary would be reviewed but has not been done since the APC came on board with Oyetola’s predecessor Rauf Aregbesola.

They claimed that the minimum wage being paid to them was nothing to write home about and were unhappy that the government did not implement the full wage structure.

They also claimed that there was no commensurate salary to the promotion given to workers. They cited the example of a worker who was promoted to level 09 but was still being paid the salary of a level 08 officer.

NLC, NJC, TUC leaders were accused of compromising the interest of the entire state workforce by endorsing the governor.

The failure of government to settle pension arrears of some pensioners may have also contributed to the electoral loss. The senior citizens, especially those on contributory pension scheme were yet to collect their bond. These set of pensioners are not entitled to monthly pension. In addition, those who retired between 2011-2012 were yet to collect their gratuity.

Although the government has been paying certain amount every month to pensioners, but the claim is that the payment was for selected few, which they said was not up to 10 per cent of the entire pensioners falling under the scheme.

This problem was compounded for the government as old pensioners too were yearning for increment in their pensions which they said is statutory.

National challenges and generall disappointment in APC

WesternPost also learnt that the governor may have suffered the consequences of the general malaise in the country brought by the Federal Government, which is being controlled by the APC. These include high cost of living, insecurity, ASUU strike, among others.

Some people spoken to by WesternPost described APC as worse than the PDP. According to them, there was the need to effect the needed change so that people can experience another party.

They also said that with the votes of the electorate now counting, it is now easier to vote out a bad government, adding that the same fate will come the way of the governor-elect if he fails to deliver on his promises in the next four years.

Political observers, however, are of the opinion that APC must start putting its house in order in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections and in order not to go into political oblivion in the State of Osun.