Gov Adekeke Seeks Reconciliation With Akande, Oyinlola, Aregbesola as Osun Marks 35TH Anniversary
_.says "there is no victor, no vanquished"
By – Israel Olayanju
As Osun State marked its 35th anniversary on Thursday, Governor Ademola Adeleke reached out to former governors of the state in a renewed push for post-election reconciliation and peace.
The Governor, in separate conversations, spoke with Chief Bisi Akande, former national chairman of the APC and ex-governor; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. He also placed calls to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and APC governorship candidate Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, though there was no response from them as of press time.
This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke used the anniversary celebration to brief Chief Akande on his reconciliation efforts and the need for elite interaction and consensus following the violence that trailed the last governorship election.
The Governor said the outreach was in line with his commitment to healing electoral wounds and unifying a people “badly divided” by pre-election tensions.
Speaking on the calls, Adeleke said: “We are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the creation of our dear state. So, it is customary that I felicitate with leaders from various groups. I commended them for their contributions to state development”
“Then, my central message is to preach and act for peace and reconciliation. I repeated my earlier statement that there is no victor, no vanquished. Election has come and gone and it is time for us to return to governance and healing of electoral wounds.” the statement added.
The Governor said that he was acting on the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to champion peace building and state reconciliation.
“That is my preoccupation as reflected in my state address and that is my appeal to my predecessors and even my fellow contestants in the last guber election,” he said.
Governor Adeleke stressed that unity was necessary to create an enabling environment for the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy and continuous delivery of good governance.
“We must unite our people and prepare an enabling environment for them to enjoy the dividends of democracy and continuous delivery of good governance. I will not stop in my peace drive to sustain development. This is a sacred task I am passionately committed to,” he noted.
Osun State was created on August 27, 1991. The 35th anniversary was marked with calls from leaders across party lines for unity and development.
