Osun Civil Society Network Rates Adeleke strongest candidate After ARISE News Town Hall

The Network of Civil Society Groups in Osun State has rated Governor Ademola Adeleke as the strongest candidate among those who participated in the ARISE News Osun Governorship Town Hall Meeting held in Osogbo on Tuesday.

The group said its assessment was based on the candidates’ presentations, governance experience, track record, ongoing projects, and their proposed approaches to addressing the development needs of the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

In a statement signed by Olanrewaju Stephen on behalf of the Network, the civil society coalition commended ARISE News for providing a platform for the governorship candidates to engage the electorate and present their programmes, policies and visions for the state.

It described such public engagements as essential to democratic development, stressing that voters should have the opportunity to scrutinise candidates beyond campaign rallies and political slogans.

According to the Network, Adeleke appeared to have an advantage over the other candidates because he has an existing record of governance that can be assessed by the electorate.

The group said the governor’s performance could be evaluated through his administration’s interventions in areas including infrastructure, road construction, healthcare, workers’ welfare, pensions and other government programmes.

It noted that while a manifesto outlines what a candidate intends to accomplish if elected, an existing governance record provides voters with tangible evidence of what has been attempted, implemented or delivered.

The Network therefore urged voters to consider both past performance and future campaign promises when making their choices at the poll.

The group, however, acknowledged that the other candidates also presented ideas and policy proposals that deserved consideration.

It noted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, highlighted employment and electricity as key priorities, including a pledge to create 20,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, was said to have focused on poverty reduction, agriculture, education, healthcare, security and human-capital development, while the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, Olajide Esan, emphasised citizen participation, transparency and accountability.

The Network also noted that the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate, Saliu Oyelami, presented himself as an alternative political direction for the state.

Despite the various proposals, the civil society coalition cautioned that attractive campaign promises should be weighed against demonstrated capacity, experience and the ability to translate policies into measurable results.

The Network stressed that its rating of Adeleke as the strongest candidate should not be interpreted as a “blank cheque” or unconditional endorsement.

It said that if re-elected, Adeleke would have a renewed responsibility to the people of Osun State and should be held to higher standards of transparency, accountability and effective service delivery.

The group called for greater efforts to attract private-sector investment, create jobs and improve performance in education, healthcare, agriculture, electricity and internally generated revenue.

The Network also appealed to all political parties, governorship candidates, security agencies, INEC officials, election observers and voters to work towards ensuring a peaceful, credible and transparent election on August 15.

It stressed that every vote must be protected, the choice of every voter respected, and the final outcome allowed to reflect the genuine will of the people of Osun State.