Osun Poll: We Must Win and Win Clean – Gov. Sule

…Unveils  multilingual media campaign strategy

By Pan Afric Reporters

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will pursue victory through peaceful, free and credible elections in the August 15th  Osun State governorship poll, insisting that the party’s campaign would be driven by issues, performance and strategic communication rather than propaganda.

Sule, who chairs the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the APC National Campaign Council for the Osun governorship election, gave the charge on Thursday while inaugurating members of the committee at the Nasarawa State Governor’s Lodge, Adokoro, Abuja.

He said the inaugural meeting was convened to formally brief members on their mandate, constitute specialised working groups and activate a coordinated media strategy aimed at ensuring effective public engagement ahead of the election.

He described the Osun governorship election as a contest of strategic national importance, stressing that the APC would work with all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful democratic process while communicating the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the party’s vision for Osun State.

“We must work harder and ensure that we do not portray the state and the election as a volatile one. We must promote a very peaceful election. We must support everyone working towards peaceful polls.

“We want to win, and win clean. That is why we will do everything within our power to ensure that the APC wins this election.

According to him, the committee will immediately commence an intensive multilingual campaign spanning television, radio, newspapers, digital platforms and social media, with carefully selected spokespersons to engage the electorate in English, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin.

He said the objective was to bridge what he described as the information gap regarding the achievements of President Tinubu, the performance of APC administrations across the country and the credentials of the party’s governorship candidate.

“A lot of people do not understand what Mr. President is doing. Many are not aware of what the party has achieved and they also do not know enough about our candidate. Our responsibility is to bridge that information gap,” he stated.

Sule explained that only competent and experienced communicators would represent the party in media engagements, noting that effective public communication requires knowledge, discipline and a proper understanding of the issues.

“Not every intelligent person can speak to the media. We must identify people who understand Osun State, understand our party, appreciate the need for peace and can effectively communicate our message.”

Adding that APC would anchor its campaign on the administration’s achievements rather than political attacks.

“We do not want people to say we won because of anything other than performance. We will promote the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the excellent work of APC governors, our party’s stakeholders and the quality of our candidate. Those are the reasons Nigerians should vote for us.”

The governor further disclosed that the committee had completed its operational budget and submitted it to the National Chairman of the APC and the Chairman of the National Campaign Council, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, assuring members that funding arrangements were already being handled by the party.

“We are not asking members to contribute huge sums of money. We are confident that people who believe in our party will support this assignment, and we will secure the resources required to execute our media campaign successfully.”

Responding to questions from journalists on the recent freezing and the immediate unfreezing of Osun State Government accounts, Sule dismissed claims that the APC was behind the action.

“APC does not direct security agencies to freeze anybody’s account. Those agencies belong to Nigeria, not to any political party,” he said.

He, however, commended President Tinubu for directing that the accounts be unfrozen, describing the decision as evidence of fairness and responsible leadership.

“Even where there may have been reasons for such action, the President understood how it could be misunderstood and directed that the accounts be unfrozen.”

On how the success of the committee would be measured, the governor said the benchmark remained simple.

“Our benchmark is success. Our benchmark is to ensure that we win the election, and by the grace of God, we will win.”

Sule also used the media briefing to address public concerns over ongoing infrastructure projects in Nasarawa State, explaining that major dualisation projects on federal highways, including the Abuja–Mararaba corridor and roads in Keffi, Akwanga and Lafia, are being fully financed by the Nasarawa State Government without borrowing.

He however credited President Tinubu’s fiscal reforms with significantly improving state revenues and enabling sub-national governments to embark on large-scale infrastructure development.

“The roads are 100 per cent funded by Nasarawa State. We have not borrowed a kobo from any bank or institution. The credit first goes to Mr. President because his reforms have made resources available for states to execute projects like these.”

He noted that although the highways are located within Nasarawa State, they serve millions of commuters travelling across the North-Central, North-East and South-East, making the investments critical national infrastructure.

Earlier during the inaugural meeting, the committee’s secretary, Felix Morka, said members were assembled to align with the mandate given by the APC National Campaign Council and establish an effective communication structure for the election.

Other members of the committee, including Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Dr. Ibrahim Ayokunle Saka, and Hon. Emeka, pledged their commitment to deploying their experience toward delivering a successful media campaign ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The APC Media and Publicity Sub-Committee is expected to coordinate the party’s messaging, media engagements, digital communications and publicity activities throughout the final phase of the Osun governorship campaign.