By Samson Olu Oderinde
Politics is a game of numbers, but also a game of lessons. And sometimes, the most painful loss becomes the greatest gain.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, came a close second in the Osun State Governorship Election. It was not a disgrace. It was not a rout. The winner was given a good run for his money — with sleepless nights, uncertainties, and a result that came down to the wire.
APC lost by the whiskers. Not because the people rejected the party, but because of things left undone. Because some i’s were not dotted, and some t’s were not crossed.
In that narrow margin lies a blessing in disguise.
THE PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE
Let it be said clearly: the majority of Osun people still believe in APC. The votes proved it. The turnout proved it. The energy on the ground proved it.
The fact that the election was that close shows that the APC brand in Osun is still strong. What it lacked was not love, but logistics. Not acceptance, but alignment. Not popularity, but precision.
Man proposes, but God disposes. And God, in His wisdom, may have allowed this to happen so that APC can look inward before 2027.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
This result is a memo from the people. A memo that says: “Do more. Do better.”
There is no room for complacency. No room for assumption. No room for “it will go our way because it has always gone our way.”
The party must go back to the drawing board in Osun. Every local government, every ward, every unit must be audited. What worked? What didn’t? Who was mobilized? Who was left out?
Victory in 2027 will not be gifted. It will be earned — one voter, one polling unit, one LGA at a time.
GALVANIZE EVERY SECTION OF THE PARTY
An election is won by an army, not by a general alone.
The youth wing must be energized. The women must be empowered. The men, artisans, market leaders, students, and community groups must be properly galvanized, motivated, mobilized, and carried along.
No organ of the party should feel neglected. When every section feels ownership, every section will deliver results.
While the government at the center continues to dazzle with aggressive development activities and unceasing image-laundering through real projects, the party structure must match that momentum on the ground. People must feel the party, not just see it on TV.
TINUBU’S LEGACY DEMANDS MORE
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has created a niche for himself. He is etching his name in gold through bold reforms, economic courage, and a clear vision for a new Nigeria.
But legacy is not sustained by sitting on the fence. It is sustained by winning elections. By converting national goodwill into local victories.
Osun is too important to be left to chance. It is a Yoruba heartland. It is a political barometer. What happens in Osun echoes across the Southwest and beyond.
There must not be any sitting on the fence. Every leader, every stakeholder, every member must be on the field.
CONCLUSION: THE BLESSING IN THE BATTLE
Yes, APC lost Osun. But APC was not disgraced.
The close result is a blessing in disguise. It is a reminder that democracy is alive. It is a reminder that voters are watching. It is a reminder that preparation beats assumption.
The road to 2027 starts today. No stone should be left unturned. Every mistake must be corrected. Every gap must be closed.
If APC takes this lesson to heart, then Osun 2022 will not be remembered as a defeat. It will be remembered as the turning point — the moment the party woke up, got serious, and came back stronger.
For in politics, sometimes you have to lose narrowly to learn how to win overwhelmingly.
Osun is not lost. The work has just begun.
Samson Olu Oderinde, JP is former Executive Chairman Yewa North Local Government and former Senior Special Adviser to Deputy Governor Ogun State. He writes from Igbogila-Yewa in Ogun state
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