Sentiment or Performance? How Osun Chooses Its Leaders

 

By Ajimati Samuel 

Every election season, the same question resurfaces in Osun State: Do voters choose their leaders because of who they are or because of what they have done?

For years, political loyalty in Nigeria has leaned heavily on sentiment, ethnic ties, party affiliation, godfather endorsements, and sheer familiarity. But Osun has never quite followed that script. Here, performance and popularity win elections.

A godfather may hand you your first term on a platter of goodwill and introductions. Your second term, however, is something you must earn. People want to see roads, prompt payment of salaries, quality schools, and accessible healthcare—not just hear speeches about them. And, of course, during election season, your loyalists must be visible, engaging with the people and doing the grassroots work that speeches alone cannot accomplish.

This shift in political philosophy is exactly why the case for Governor Ademola Adeleke's second term resonates beyond party lines. It is not built on sentiment; it is built on his record.

But a good record alone does not guarantee a second term. Osun politics has quieter, less visible currents beneath the surface of performance, and they matter just as much. Chief among them is this: How well do local leaders engage with the people during election season?

Some keen readers may pause here in confusion. Didn't we just establish that Adeleke delivered on his promises? He did. But Osun voters are also influenced by something more difficult to quantify—the respect shown to them by local leaders and, yes, the goodwill extended to them during the final stretch of a campaign.

That is why the last-minute campaign efforts—ward-level visits, community meetings, and small gestures of recognition—are never optional in Osun. They are part of the political currency.

Performance also means something different in Osun's political dictionary than it does elsewhere. Delivering projects is not enough; you must be seen enjoying the work and connecting with the people while doing it.

One reason former Governor Gboyega Oyetola struggled to win over the electorate was his temperament, not merely his track record. After Rauf Aregbesola—a governor known for his energy, visibility, and his famous Orin Ọ̀tẹ́ (rallying political songs that became part of his signature style)—many voters found Oyetola's reserved and low-key approach difficult to embrace.

Osun does not simply want a governor who performs; it wants one who performs with the people—visibly, passionately, and openly.

Party structure is the final piece of the puzzle. A political party that loses its grassroots strength in Osun is, for all practical purposes, finished. It does not matter how massive the crowd appears at campaign rallies. Large rallies make impressive photographs, but they do not vote. Strong ward-level structures do.

Consider Aregbesola himself. He secured two terms despite owing workers several months' salaries—a failure that would have sunk most governors elsewhere in Nigeria. Yet, even today, he still commands a significant measure of respect across the state.

What did he do differently?

He remained visible. He remained energetic. He made Osun people feel as though they were governing alongside him rather than simply being governed.

That is the missing variable in every conversation about performance in Osun. Delivery matters, but so does making the people feel seen.

Taken together, these are the forces shaping Osun's political philosophy as the election approaches: not sentiment or blind loyalty, but a demanding combination of performance, visibility, respect, and grassroots engagement.

Governor Ademola Adeleke's bid for a second term will ultimately be decided not only by what he has built, but by whether the people of Osun still believe he is building the state with them.

Ajimati Samuel is a young journalist at The Daily Beam