AAC candidate promises to bounce back after election defeat

The African Action Congress governorship candidate for the August 15 Osun State election, Olajide Esan, has said he will return stronger after his defeat in the election.

Esan shared this message on his X account on Sunday. He thanked the people of Osun for their support during the campaign.

He mentioned that his campaign, known as the Irapada Osun movement, was not just about winning the election. It aimed to promote what he called the awakening of the people and their freedom.

“The Vision Outlives the Election: When we launched the IRAPADAOSUN movement under the banner of the African Action Congress (AAC), it was not based on the narrow goal of winning an election, it was based on something that is far greater: THE AWAKENING OF THE MINDS AND TRUE LIBERATION OF OUR PEOPLE,” he said.

Esan received support from Omoyele Sowore, the party's presidential candidate, during the campaign. He criticized how money influences politics, saying it will not silence their movement forever.

“The monetization of politics by the moneybags won’t silence us forever. Even though our people are trapped by weaponized hunger, poverty and ignorance that have been fashioned against them, the tide is turning, and the grip that the oppressors have on the people is loosening.”

He added, “This is only the beginning, we will be back stronger, better, and more steadfast in our fight to restore good governance back to the people.”

In the election, the AAC candidate received 1,458 votes, placing eighth among 15 candidates.

The Independent National Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, announced that the Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke, won with 511,067 votes.

Adeleke defeated his nearest rival, Bola Oyebamiji from the All Progressives Congress, who got 444,815 votes. The governor won in 19 out of the 30 local government areas in Osun, while Oyebamiji won in 11.

The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came in third with 17,180 votes.