The August 9 governorship election i n O sun State ha s gone the way the people of the landlocked state wanted it. They enthusiastically affirmed their approval of the candidate of the All Progressive Congr ss (APC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
The appreciative people of the st ate rewarded him with a second term in office for hi s numerous indisputable achievement s and unusual performance. Prior to now, i n Osun, they were not as generous as to return a governor for a second term. This time, the jinx was broken because of the indisputability of the performance of Aregbesola.
But, as the electioneering gathered momentum and attained its finale, mindboggling demands were made. One of such risible demands, nay unjustifiable expectations, was the one made by President Goodluck Jonathan to the crowd that thronged the Osogbo City Stadium for the final mega rally of the People’s Democratic Party.
After he revealed the determination of his administration to militarise the state, the President announced to his audience that that same day, Saturday August 2, was Vice-President Namadi Sambo’s birthday. And there the demand was made: Vote for Senator Iyiola Omisore and you would have given VP Sambo a memorable birthday gift. Not minding the fact that his party, both in government at the centre and in the states under its control, is yet to affect the lives of Nigerians in remarkably positive ways, the president gravely asked that his VP’s birthday be celebrated with a gift of victory for Senator Omisore at the polls.
This demand and the revelation of the use he would put the army to in Osun formed the crux of President Jonathan’s utterances at the rally to which he led a delegation of PDP members.
Alas! The wise and thoughtful people of Osun have no birthdaygift for VP Sambo. If the people who provide leadership at the centre are profligate, inconsiderate, and given to making awful demands, the large majority of voters in Osun are not careless enough to “gift” their votes to anyone for a birthday.
Omisore has lost and, therefore, there is no birthday gift for VP Sambo from the Osun electorate.
In many ways, the voters in Osun are not like people who continue to glide from one sphere of appalling policy to another. Unlike President Jonathan and other top brass of his cabinet, who often demonstrate inaction in the face of urgent national matters, the Osun people know the right decision to make with their votes. Although President Jonathan would be unduly tardy in doing what is constitutionally expected of his office, and make wrong moves, the people of Osun understand the seriousness of election and the power of their votes.
Hence, they will not vote for unelectable persons, and, as in the case with the PDP in Osun, they will not overlook the character of any aspirant, no matter
his party. For the Osun people, therefore, elections mean voting for people like Aregbesola who can do more to affect their lives for good.
Moreover, the point must be made that the victory of Aregbesola is a loud testimony to his genuine acceptance by the people of Osun. His popularity with them is no fluke. He is deeply connected with the people and is widely approved of by them.
His reelection is a reward for the positive ways he has, through the instrumentality of governance, affected the people. They love his unusual governance, warts and all. They are convinced that he will widen the space of development if given another chance.
The people would rather reward performance than gift Abuja with an undeserving birthday perquisite.
Need it be emphasised here again to the PDP that the successful and convincing reelection of Aregbesola is yet another piece of evidence that he was, indeed, the winner of the 2007 governorship election and that
the Appeal Court that affirmed that was not monetarily induced as advertised by fair weather democrats?
One has the feeling that come February next year, Osun will once again demonstrate its ringing disapproval of anything PDP. One can only appeal to  Nigerians in other parts of the country to prepare to put an end to the pain and deliver democracy from the vice-like grip of the PDP.
While I heartily congratulate Governor Aregbesola on his deserved victory, particularly over the dark forces of the Federal Government of Nigeria, I should honestly like to appeal to him to stay the cause, improve massively on his feat in office in his first term.
In addition to adding enduring value to the inhabitants of Osun, Aregbesola has a bounden duty to use the instrument of excellent delivery of good governance to make the return of PDP in Osun permanently impossible.
Congratulations to the people of Osun. May it always be morning for democracy in Osun and, of course, Nigeria.
*Adekunle writes from Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Osun poll: No birthday gift for Sambo