Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Chairman of the African Democratic Party, David Mark and the National Secretary of the party, Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday urged the electorate in Osun State to support the candidate of the party, Dr Najeem Salaam, in the August 15 governorship election.
While Atiku said the best of Nigerians were in the ADC, Aregbesola stated that the party would revive the legacy of the late Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, if the party’s candidate emerged victorious at Saturday’s poll.
The ADC chieftains spoke at the party’s grand rally held at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, on Monday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission fixed August 15 for the Osun governorship election.
Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke is vying on the platform of the Accord, Salaam is vying on the ticket of the ADC, while Bola Oyebamiji is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, among others.
Speaking at the rally on Monday, Atiku recalled his long-standing political relationship with the people of the state, noting that Osun had supported him for a long time.
“This is the fourth time I am standing on this podium. Each time I stood here, you have given me your vote. I cannot forget that because your daughter is in my house.”
“I came here for the current governor, and I told you to support him, and you voted for him. I came here on my presidential campaign; you voted for me, and you defeated Bola Tinubu. For me, I can’t forget that.
“I have come today to appeal to you again to vote for ADC. This is because ADC is different from APC, Accord and other political parties. The best of Nigerians today are in ADC,” he said.
Atiku expressed optimism that the large turnout at the rally signalled victory for the ADC in Saturday’s election.
Speaking at the rally, Mark urged voters to come out en masse on Saturday to vote and protect their votes, warning that anyone who attempted to rig the election would not go scot-free.
“What we are here to do is celebrate the victory that we are going to come to the ADC on Saturday. Our presidential candidate is here with us, and this shows the love he has for this party.
“By the time we swear in Najeem Salaam in November, we will be here again to march with you to the government house.
“On Saturday, protect your votes. Don’t allow anybody to rig you out. They will not rig and get away with it,” the ADC national chairman stated.
In his address, Aregbesola said ADC remained the political platform with Awolowo’s ideals, particularly in education, agriculture, poverty reduction and empowerment.
“We are the true heirs of Obafemi Awolowo. We are the only party following his ideals in terms of empowering farmers, eradicating poverty and free education.
“We are the true descendants of Awolowo. Vote for our party if you want the return of Awolowo-style governance,” Aregbesola said.
He also dismissed reports that the ADC was planning to ally with another political party ahead of the election.
“Don’t listen to reports that we are joining any party. We are not in alliance with any party. We stand out from others,” Aregbesola said.
The former governor maintained that government must be about service, opportunity and restoring confidence in leadership, adding that the ADC represented the true heirs of Awolowo’s progressive tradition of free education, quality healthcare and social welfare.
Recalling programmes introduced during his administration between 2010 and 2018, which he said were designed to put people first, Aregbesola said the ADC governorship candidate would bring back the programmes if elected on Saturday.
He added that the ADC would reintroduce school feeding across public primary schools and expand other social intervention schemes abandoned by successive governments.
“We invested in healthcare, social welfare, and emergency response systems like O-AMBULANCE.
“We introduced O’YES for youth empowerment, O’MEALS for school feeding, and O’REAP for agriculture. These and many more laudable programmes will be back under Iwaloye,” Aregbesola said.
He stressed that good governance should be a continuum and that beneficial programmes must not be discarded because of political differences.
On infrastructure, Aregbesola said rural roads were more than concrete and asphalt because they connected farmers to markets, children to schools and communities to opportunities.
He promised that the next ADC government would prioritise rural electrification, mechanised agriculture and innovation hubs to drive jobs and productivity.
Aregbesola described the party’s candidate in Osun as the face of continuity and urged the electorate to choose him as the next governor.
According to him, Salaam’s agenda includes re-establishing O’YES to employ 20,000 youths, reviving the O’MEALS school feeding programme, expanding mechanised agriculture and investing in rural infrastructure and technology.
“This election is about the future of Osun. Quality education, youth opportunities, farmer prosperity, and a government that truly serves the people,” Aregbesola said.
He urged Osun voters to come out on August 15 and vote for the ADC, saying the party had both the experience and blueprint to restore prosperity and dignity to the state.
Addressing the gathering after receiving the party’s flag, Salaam promised that his government would prioritise the well-being of Osun people.
He said all sectors would be improved upon, warning that the party would not allow any form of rigging in the poll.
The ADC candidate also promised to provide jobs for 20,000 youths within his first 100 days in office.
“On Saturday, nobody will be allowed to rig us out. What they did in Ekiti State will not happen here. If we win the election, I want to tell you that our electricity will be stable. We have a solution to that, and it is a promise.
“Education from the primary to the secondary school for our children will be free, and we will also ensure that we have a committee that will review the tuition fees in our higher institutions with a plan to bring it down.
“Children from age 1 to 18 will have access to free medical treatment in a well-equipped government hospital. Our pregnant women will have free treatment. Our elders and widows will be taken care of,” Salaam said.