Osun West by-election: Sheriff, Makarfi celebrate PDP victory

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and the chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi have congratulated members of the party in Osun State for winning the Saturday senatorial election in the state.

The two men said that the victory recorded by the party in the Osun West Senatorial election by Alhaji Nurudeen Adeleke was as a result of hard work.

The PDP candidate defeated other contenders in the election, especially Senator Mudahsiru Hussain.

Hussain, who was the anointed candidate of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola, was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the election.

Sheriff, in a statement issued on Sunday by the acting spokesperson for the party, Mr. Bernard Mikko, said that the party would dedicate the PDP victory to the memory of Senator Isiaka Adeleke.

The late Adeleke, who was a former governor of the state, was also the senior brother to the senator -elect.

Mikko said, “This victory is as a result of hard work, dedication and commitment of PDP members in Osun State. We thank them all for their loyalty, especially our grassroots mobilisers who worked tirelessly to make this victory possible.
“The significance of this victory is obvious and the leadership of the party at all levels will consolidate and earn this trust and confidence reposed on the party.
“The national leadership of the party is particularly pleased with the Osun State Working Committee, party elders youths and traditional leaders that warmly received us.
“We give glory to God and dedicate this victory to the loving memory of late Senator Adeleke whose legacy will be championed by his successor.”

He said that the era of what he described as “blatant impunity is over”, adding that no form of indiscipline or distraction would be tolerated in the party again.

In his own reaction, Makarfi, who spoke through Prince Dayo Adeyeye said that the PDP victory was a general reflection on the reawakening of Nigerians to the alleged deceit of the All Progressive Congress.

He said this was why the APC was rejected at the poll by the voters in Osun State.

He said that the party believed that the senator -elect would deliver on his promises to the people, adding that the successful outcome of this election was an evidence of hard work, dedication and the unity of all members of the PDP in Osun state who he said, buried temporary differences in the overall interest of the party.

“We are confident that without the interference of the APC in the current leadership issues in our Party, the PDP remains the Party to beat in all elections in Nigeria. Even as we await the judgement of the Supreme Court we urge all our members to unite in the interest of Nigerians to rid the country of the horrible APC government,” he added.

Also speaking on the victory,  the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladipo commended stakeholders in the senatorial district, saying that the outcome of the poll actually reflected the wishes of the electorate.

Oladipo specifically commended the Independent National Electoral Commission,  the security agencies and the electorate for the peaceful conduct of the polls, saying that the peaceful conduct of the by-election had shown clearly that all hope was not lost in the Nation’s electoral system.