Let me begin by commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allowing the people of Osun State to exercise their democratic rights and determine who governs them. In a country where the credibility of elections has repeatedly been called into question, ensuring that people can freely express their will at the ballot box is worthy of recognition. For a man whose political journey has been deeply connected to Nigeria’s democratic struggle, the conduct of the Osun election further reinforces the argument that Tinubu is indeed a father of democracy.
The people of Osun have spoken, and their decision must be respected. Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured another four years in office, and congratulations are therefore in order. But beyond the celebration, the music and the familiar dance steps, there is a more serious conversation that Osun must have with itself.
Osun State is the circus that has failed to be liberated from a jester.
That may sound harsh, but sometimes the truth about a society must be expressed without the comfort of political correctness. Osun is a state blessed with intellectuals, academics, professionals, technocrats, entrepreneurs, and young people with the capacity to build a modern and economically vibrant society. Yet, somehow, our politics continues to revolve excessively around personalities, theatrics, and political entertainment rather than ideas, competence, and long-term development.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a governor who dances. Governor Adeleke has every right to celebrate, enjoy himself, and connect with the people in whatever manner he chooses. His dancing has become part of his political identity, and there is no need to pretend otherwise. But governance cannot be measured by the ability to entertain a crowd. A governor may dance for five minutes, but the people will live with the consequences of his policies for four years.
Osun cannot dance its way out of unemployment. It cannot dance its way out of poor healthcare. It cannot dance quality education into its schools. It cannot dance industries into the state or create sustainable economic opportunities for its young people.
The people deserve more than entertainment. They deserve governance.
The Adeleke administration has made infrastructure a significant part of its agenda, particularly through road construction and rehabilitation. That is commendable. However, the conversation should not stop at the number of roads constructed or the number of projects commissioned. Osun deserves infrastructure that is properly designed, properly executed, durable and capable of supporting economic development for decades.
A road is not successful simply because it has been commissioned. It is successful when it reduces travel time, improves commerce, connects communities and remains useful long after the government that constructed it has left office. The same principle applies to schools, hospitals, bridges and other public infrastructure. The standard must be quality, sustainability and impact, not merely visibility.
But while Adeleke must be held accountable for his administration, the Osun APC must also accept responsibility for the political environment that has allowed him to remain in power.
The APC did not lose Osun merely because Adeleke was an extraordinary political strategist. The party helped create the conditions for its own decline.
Former Governor Gboyega Oyetola had an opportunity to consolidate the APC’s position in Osun State after succeeding Rauf Aregbesola. Instead, his tenure was overshadowed by internal disagreements, factional politics and allegations of political ego. The problem was bigger than one individual; it was the inability of the party’s leadership to build a sufficiently broad political coalition and manage competing interests.
Politics is fundamentally about relationships. You cannot treat political actors as irrelevant today and expect them to remain irrelevant tomorrow. You cannot build a political structure around personal ego and expect everyone else to remain loyal to it indefinitely.
One of the most interesting ironies in Osun politics is the way Ademola Adeleke was once perceived by elements within the APC. At a time when the party had opportunities to accommodate him, questions were raised about his membership and political relevance. There was a perception that he lacked the electoral value necessary to become a serious political force.
Today, that same man has defeated the APC twice in the Osun governorship contest.
That should be a lesson in humility for every political party.
Never underestimate a person simply because you cannot immediately see their value. Politics has a way of turning yesterday’s political nonentity into tomorrow’s kingmaker. The people who dismissed Adeleke’s relevance eventually had to contend with him at the ballot box, and he prevailed.
The APC’s failure to manage its internal relationships, its factions and its personalities contributed significantly to the political reality Osun finds itself in today.
But the greater tragedy is that Osun does not lack alternatives.
The state has produced some of the brightest Nigerians in academia, business, law, medicine, engineering, media, technology and public administration. There are Osun indigenes across the world who have demonstrated that they possess the intellectual and professional capacity to transform institutions and economies.
So why should the politics of Osun continually be reduced to personality and entertainment?
Why are we not having serious conversations about industrialisation, agricultural development, technology, education, healthcare, tourism, urban planning and youth employment?
Why are we not developing a twenty-year economic blueprint for the state that successive governments can build upon regardless of political affiliation?
Why are we not deliberately creating an environment that attracts investors and gives young Osun residents reasons to remain in the state rather than relocating to Lagos, Abuja or abroad in search of opportunities?
These are the conversations that should define the future of Osun.
Governor Adeleke now has another four years to answer these questions.
The election is over. The campaign is over. The political rallies are over. He has secured the mandate he sought, and the responsibility now is to justify the confidence that millions of voters have placed in him.
The next four years should therefore be about legacy.
Let the governor demonstrate that the dancing governor can also be a transformational governor. Let him build infrastructure that will still stand and serve the people long after his administration has ended. Let him strengthen education, improve healthcare, attract investment, develop agriculture, support entrepreneurs and create an environment where young people can see a future within Osun.
Bring people who can tell the governor when he is wrong, not just people who will applaud everything he does.
Government should not be a reward for political loyalty. It should be a platform for competence and service.
And yes, if Governor Adeleke wants to dance, let him dance. Let him continue entertaining his supporters and celebrating with the people. Nobody should begrudge him that.
But while the governor dances, let the engineers build. Let the economists plan. Let the teachers teach. Let the doctors heal. Let the entrepreneurs create. Let the technocrats innovate. Let the intellectuals contribute.
Congratulations, Governor Ademola Adeleke, on securing another four-year mandate. Congratulations to the people of Osun State for participating in the democratic process and making their choice.
We look forward to another four years of the governor’s famous dance steps. We also look forward to seeing him bring more Adeleke-like personalities into government, people who can combine accessibility, political energy and a connection with the people with the competence required to move the state forward.
But when the music eventually stops, the political rallies disappear, and the circus leaves town, Osun will be left with one question that no amount of dancing can answer:
What did the jester leave behind?
Because Osun does not need another four years of spectacle.
Osun needs a legacy.
