Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Tuesday congratulated Senator Ademola Adeleke as the newly elected governor of the state and charged him to make his government an all-inclusive one.
The traditional ruler in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo by his Director of Media & Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, advised him to carry everybody on board as a people’s leader who has no time for any vendetta that will make him lose focus on his plans for the state.
The traditional ruler who also warned him against giving an audience to sycophantic behaviours of hypocrites that may want to selfishly misadvise him by pretending to be his best loyalists, described his victory at the poll as “indeed a victory for the state and democracy which must be seen as ‘No Victor, No vanquish’.”
He pointed out that the election result is a confirmation of Adeleke’s grassroots popularity in the state which must reward with good governance driven by rule of law, fear of God and selfless service to the people.
“Senator Ademola Adeleke has been around for some time and his eventual victory is an opportunity for him to execute his election promises as much as possible.
“Mr governor-elect is from a noble family and a strong political dynasty in the state who must avoid being misled by hypocrisy and sycophancy of some arrogant political lieutenants who may want to instigate him against merely perceived political enemies both within his party and in the opposition parties. Vendetta is capable of derailing a leader,” he warned.
Ooni, however, commended the state governor, Alhaji Isiaka Oyetola for the peace-loving character with which he comported himself before, during and after the election.
He described him as a perfect gentleman of peace who kept his promise made recently at the peace accord meeting that he was not going to act as a desperate politician but would only remain as a simple political leader in all ramifications.
“During the Peace Accord ceremony organised by the National Peace Committee few days to the election in Osogbo attended by traditional rulers led by the Ooni, civil societies, INEC officials led by the chairman, heads of security agencies and other peace stakeholders from across the country, Governor Oyetola signed the peace accord alongside 12 other contestants and he made a promise to conduct himself peacefully before, during and after the election in a character of a gentleman and a simple leader in all ramifications. This he has done to the admiration of the traditional rulers and he must be well commended.”
Ooni, also applauded the Osun electorate who went out on Saturday peacefully with their usual virtuous ‘Omoluwabi’ decorum and voted for their different preferred candidates without setting the state on fire which would have posed serious challenges to be managed by security agencies and traditional rulers.
While giving kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over what he described as a job well done during the exercise, the traditional ruler remarked that the success and smoothness of the voting exercise was not without the virtuous ethos of ‘Omoluabi’ displayed across the state by the Osun electorate, affirming that “they are truly the heroes of that election day.
“What this means for our democracy is that more people are getting interested in all stages and our system of governance is gradually becoming more acceptable. It is indeed a victory for the State and democracy which must be seen as ‘No Victor No Vanquished.”