Dayo Israel, the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, has characterized Governor Ademola Adeleke’s dancing as a political asset that enabled him to engage Osun State voters.
Israel claimed in a Facebook post on Sunday that political rivals who saw the governor primarily thru the prism of his public performances should not have disregarded Adeleke’s capacity to sing, dance, and engage directly with the populace.
After receiving 511,067 votes, Adeleke of the Accord Party was proclaimed the winner of Saturday’s Osun governorship election. Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, received 444,815 votes.
In the statement, Israel reflected on the election and said that the results should force the APC to reconsider how it engages voters and runs its campaigns before the general election in 2027.
According to him, Adeleke was one of three individuals who shaped the election.
He claimed that Adeleke’s readiness to accept the customs and feelings of the populace contributed to his grassroots appeal.
“Dancing was never a weakness for Governor Adeleke. It was a language of politics. He claimed that it humanized him, made him approachable, and fostered an emotional bond with regular voters.
Israel claimed that some political analyzes overlooked the emotional connection that Adeleke’s singing, dancing, accessibility, and public devotion produced.
“Politics is more than just policy. He defined it as “emotion, identity, presence, and belonging.”
He said the APC should understand that intellect or the approbation of the elite did not always determine electoral success.
Therefore, our party ought to cease equating electoral significance with intellect. Even if a politician dominates elite discourse, they may not be able to win over voters. Another may command overwhelming loyalty on the ground while being ridiculed in elite settings, he added.
Israel also acknowledged the singer and nephew of the governor, Davido, for his role in organizing youth support for Adeleke’s campaign.
He claimed that Davido connected the campaign with a younger generation thru his networks, music, influence, and online presence.
“Davido did not consider his position to be symbolic. He was positioned at the center of young mobilization and connected the campaign to a generation thru his networks, music, influence, internet reach, and personal credibility, according to Isreal.
The youth leader of the APC questioned whether his party had comparable young individuals who might inspire young voters.
He questioned, “Who are the Davidos in the APC?”
Israel stated that the APC’s defeat in Osun should also compel the party to deal with internal strife, shoddy grassroots institutions, and what he called insufficient participation from its women’s and youth wings.
He maintained that rather than being put together right before polls, campaign structures have to be set up well in advance of elections.
“A campaign council needs to be established early, adequately funded, given specific deliverables, and held responsible. Anything less is not strategy; it is theater.
Additionally, he urged the party to resolve its internal conflicts before 2027, saying that wider inclusion was necessary for political success.
Israel concluded his analysis by stating that the APC ought to take note of Davido’s appeal to younger voters and Adeleke’s relationship with the public.
“We were given a democratic contest by President Tinubu. Adeleke, the governor, knew his people. Davido was aware of his generation.
He continued, “The question is whether the APC understands its own lesson.”
