The National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Dayo Israel, has said that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s dancing is a political strength. He believes it helped Adeleke connect with voters in Osun State.
Israel shared his thoughts in an article on Facebook on Sunday. He pointed out that Adeleke's ability to sing, dance, and engage with the grassroots should not be dismissed by political opponents. They often view the governor only through his public performances.
Adeleke, who is from the Accord Party, won the Osun governorship election on Saturday. He received 511,067 votes, beating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who got 444,815 votes.
Reflecting on the election, Israel said the result should make the APC rethink how it campaigns and connects with voters as they prepare for the 2027 general election. He sees Adeleke as one of three key figures who defined this election.
According to Israel, Adeleke’s link to the grassroots was partly due to his embrace of the people’s culture and emotions. "Governor Adeleke’s dancing was never a weakness. It was a political language. It humanised him, made him accessible, and created emotional proximity with ordinary voters," he stated.
Israel explained that Adeleke’s singing, dancing, and open worship helped create a strong emotional bond that some political analysts might overlook. "Politics is not only policy. It is emotion, identity, presence and belonging," he added.
He emphasized that the APC needs to understand that winning elections does not always depend on approval from the elite or being sophisticated. "Our party must therefore stop confusing sophistication with electoral value. A candidate may dominate elite discourse and still fail to move a ward. Another may be mocked in elite spaces and still command overwhelming loyalty on the ground," he noted.
Israel also praised Davido, Adeleke’s nephew and a popular singer, for rallying young people around the governor’s campaign. He said Davido used his influence, connections, music, and digital reach to engage the younger generation.
"Davido did not treat his role as symbolic. He was placed at the centre of youth mobilisation and used his influence, networks, music, digital reach and personal credibility to connect the campaign to a generation," Israel explained.
He questioned if the APC has young personalities like Davido who can mobilise young voters. "Who are the Davidos in the APC?" he asked.
Israel pointed out that the APC’s loss in Osun should also push the party to tackle internal divisions, weak grassroots structures, and what he calls poor engagement with its youth and women wings. He believes campaign structures should be set up well before elections, not just assembled shortly before voting.
"A campaign council must be formed early, properly funded, given clear deliverables and held accountable. Anything less is theatre, not strategy," he said.
He also urged the party to reconcile its internal divisions ahead of 2027. He argued that to win politically, broader inclusion is necessary.
In closing, Israel said the APC should learn from how Adeleke connected with the electorate and how Davido attracted young voters. "President Tinubu gave us a democratic contest. Governor Adeleke understood his people. Davido understood his generation.
"The question is whether the APC understands its own lesson," he concluded.
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