Aminu Gwarzo, the Kano State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress, has described Ademola Adeleke’s re-election in Osun State as proof that political authority ultimately rests with the electorate.
Reacting to the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in an interview with PUNCH Online on Sunday, Gwarzo congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun State for what he described as a strong demonstration of democratic participation.
‘The People Have Defended Their Mandate’
Gwarzo said the election showed that voters were prepared to protect their choices and defend the democratic process.
“The people have defended their mandate and demonstrated their resolve to protect the democratic process,” he said.
According to him, the turnout and outcome of the election reinforced the principle that citizens should determine who governs them through the ballot box.
Democracy Must Reflect the People’s Choice
The Kano politician argued that the Osun election had further demonstrated that democracy remains firmly rooted in the will of the electorate.
He said voters exercised their constitutional rights and made a choice that political actors must respect.
“They exercised their democratic rights and reaffirmed that democracy is truly working.
Their participation has shown that the power ultimately belongs to the people, whose voices must be respected and whose choices must be upheld,” Gwarzo stated.
Osun Result Raises Expectations in Kano
Beyond congratulating Adeleke, Gwarzo said the outcome had political implications for his own ambitions in Kano ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He interpreted Adeleke’s victory as evidence that voters could successfully defend their preferred candidates when they remained committed to the electoral process.
“The victory in Osun is a clear signal that the people are ready to defend their mandate, and we believe the same spirit will be witnessed in Kano in 2027,” he said.
Adeleke Defeats APC Challenger
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner on Sunday after the Accord Party candidate secured 511,067 votes.
He defeated his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,811 votes.
The African Democratic Congress candidate finished third with 17,180 votes.
Election Victory Fuels 2027 Political Calculations
Adeleke’s successful bid for another term has already generated reactions from politicians beyond Osun, with Gwarzo using the result to highlight what he believes voters can achieve through the ballot.
For the Kano governorship hopeful, the central message from Osun is that electoral mandates belong to citizens and that political parties and candidates must ultimately submit to the decision of the electorate.
He expressed confidence that the same determination could influence the political landscape in Kano when voters go to the polls in 2027.
