The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and the Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, have congratulated members of the party in Osun State for winning the Saturday senatorial election in the state.
The two men said the victory recorded by the party in the Osun West senatorial election by its candidate, Alhaji Nurudeen Adeleke, was a result of hard work.
The PDP candidate defeated other contenders in the election, including Senator Mudasiru Hussain of the All Progressives Congress, who was backed by the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Adeleke, the PDP candidate, defeated Hussain with total votes of 97,480 to 66,116.
Sheriff, in a statement on Sunday by the acting spokesperson for the party, Mr. Bernard Mikko, said the party would dedicate the PDP victory to the memory of Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
The late Adeleke, a former governor of the state, who died in April, was the senior brother to the senator-elect.
The PDP stated, “This victory is as a result of hard work, dedication and commitment of PDP members in Osun State. We thank them all for their loyalty, especially our grass-roots mobilisers, who worked tirelessly to make this victory possible.
“The significance of this victory is obvious and the leadership of the party at all levels will consolidate on and earn this trust and confidence reposed in the party.
“The national leadership of the party is particularly pleased with the Osun State Working Committee, party elders youths and traditional leaders that warmly received us.
“We give glory to God and dedicate this victory to the loving memory of the late Senator Adeleke, whose legacy will be championed by his successor.”
He said the era of what he described as “blatant impunity is over”, adding that no form of indiscipline or distraction would be tolerated in the party again.
In his own reaction, the Makarfi committee, who spoke through its spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye, said the PDP’s victory was a general reflection of the reawakening of Nigerians to the alleged deceit of the APC.
The caretaker committee stated that the PDP believed that the senator-elect would deliver on his promises to the people.
Adeyeye added that the successful outcome of the Osun State senatorial election was the evidence of hard work, dedication and the unity of all members of the PDP in Osun State, who, he said, buried their temporary differences in the overall interest of the party.
“We are confident that without the interference of the APC in the current leadership issues in our party, the PDP remains the party to beat in all elections in Nigeria,” he added.
Also, the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, commended stakeholders in the senatorial district, saying the outcome of the poll actually reflected the wishes of the electorate.
Oladipo specifically commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, the security agencies and the electorate for the peaceful conduct of the polls.
He stated that the peaceful conduct of the by-election had shown clearly that all hope was not lost in the nation’s electoral system.
The Chairman of the PDP in Osun State, Mr. Soji Adagunodo, hailed the victory of Adeleke, describing it as an act of God.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, Adagunodo said the victory was beyond human calculation.
He stated, “I want to thank God and the people of Osun West Senatorial District for voting massively for the candidate of our party.
“This is the hand of God, it’s not the act of any man; it is of God.”