Osun: APC reacts after Adeleke’s victory in guber poll

Adeleke’s victory, assurance Nigeria’s democracy is enduring –Tinubu

.Osun gov sues for peace, unity, Obi hails Adeleke’s re-election

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN with agency reports

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord as the winner of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the governorship election, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke the winner after polling a total of 511,067 votes.

Ogunwole stated that a total of 1,005,800 votes were cast during the election, with 985,079 being valid votes and 20,721 being rejected votes.

He said out of the valid votes, Accord party scored the highest number of votes.

“I, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the 2026 Osun governorship election held on Aug. 15, and declare that Ademola Jackson Adeleke of the Accord Party, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner,” Ogunwole said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adeleke scored 511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who garnered 444,815 votes.

The candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke, in total, won in 19 local government areas while Oyebamiji won in 11 local government areas.

He is expected to be sworn-in for another four year term on November 27.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State says its leadership is currently studying the results of Saturday’s governorship election.

This is contained in a statement by the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on Sunday in Osogbo.

The party said it would explore all constitutional avenues to determine its next course of action.

“We are not unaware of the fact that election is a process which begins with the registration of voters, through the primary election to the election proper, and extends to the Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and terminates at the Supreme Court.

“An election cannot be said to have been concluded without exploring all constitutionally allowed legal opportunities to correct anomalies observed in the process, as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2026, as amended.

“We commend the steadfastness, sagacity and loyalty of the numerous members and supporters of our party for their contributions in getting to this juncture in the political history of the state,” the statement said.

The statement further said that the party, founded on the principles of the rule of law, fairness and justice, would not hesitate to explore the window provided by the extant Electoral Act after consulting its team of lawyers and receiving their professional advice.

It described the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of the governorship election results as a new development in the state’s political history, adding that it would not compel the party to deviate from its commitment to the rule of law.

“As a result of the foregoing, we are imploring our ever-loyal members and supporters to remain cool and calm while they carry on with their businesses and refuse to respond to any provocative action or inaction from any members of the ruling party across the state,” he said.

The party urged its members not to despair over the current situation, assuring them that “it is not over until it is over.”

It also appealed to the Nigeria Police Force to intervene and protect APC members and supporters who, he alleged, were being needlessly molested by members of the ruling party.

“The current situation in the political history of the state is a passing phase which will soon become part of history, as justice shall be done accordingly,” the statement said.

However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the just-concluded Osun State election is a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our country under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

He said this in a press statement signed by his Special Adviser, (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, and made available to journalists on Sunday.

“I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today (yesterday) to congratulate him on his election victory in Osun State. His victory, once again, confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State have in him.

“I wish him great success as he prepares to lead the state for the next four years. Now that he has won, Governor Adeleke must unite the people of Osun State and rally them for growth, stability, and social and economic progress, regardless of the political choices they made at the election.

“I salute the courage and discipline displayed by other contestants in the election. Their participation deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture.

“The outcome of the election reflects the will of the people and is a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our land,” he said.

President Tinubu commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for conducting a peaceful and transparent election that produced a clear winner.

Speaking with newsmen after his election victory on Sunday at his country home in Ede, on Sunday, Gov Ademola Adeleke appealed for peace and unity among the people of the state to heal the wounds inflicted by pre-election violence.

The governor also promised to accelerate the development of the state and widen the scope of good governance.

Adeleke warned against post-election attacks on opposition supporters, calling for forgiveness and the restoration of communal love after weeks of gun attacks across the state.

He observed a minute’s silence for victims of the pre-election violence and urged community leaders and traditional institutions to embark on peace-building initiatives in their communities.

The governor, who dedicated his victory to God and the people of the state, commended their resilience, strong will and unwavering commitment to democracy, promising not to disappoint them.

“As you have trusted me with a second term in office, I will reinforce my strong points and correct my errors.

“Osun will witness further accelerated development and growth under my renewed five-point agenda,” he said.

In related development, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi has congratulated Gov. Ademola Adeleke on his re-election, describing this historic victory as a highly important democratic achievement for Nigeria.

Obi, in a statement on Sunday in Enugu, titled: “Osun: When the People Stand, Democracy Wins”, explicitly said that the people of Osun had “spoken with courage and exceptional clarity”.

He said that the victory reaffirmed that the power to choose leaders belongs to the people, adding: “The victory is a demonstration of the power of the people” all across Nigeria.

He also said that Adeleke’s renewed mandate reflected his commitment to the people, compassion for their needs, and the strength of his work and remarkable achievements in office during his tenure.

The NDC presidential candidate particularly commended the youths of Osun for what he described as their courageous and peaceful defence of their democratic mandate during the highly contested weekend governorship polls.

According to him, their vigilance and determination beautifully demonstrated that when citizens stand firmly to protect their votes, the forces of good can overcome the forces of darkness in any election.

Obi said that the lesson from Osun was that democracy is strongest when citizens are fully alert, conscious of their civic responsibilities and determined to ensure that their votes count always.

He strongly emphasised that every genuine vote must be respected and every lawful mandate protected to ensure that the sacred will of the people was never undermined by any anti-democratic force.

Looking forward directly ahead to the 2027 General Elections, Obi called on Nigerians to remain informed, participate actively, vote and most importantly, protect their votes across every single polling unit nationwide.

He said that Nigerians were the ones experiencing hunger, deprivation, insecurity and hardship and therefore tightly possessed the power, through their votes, to bring about the change needed to address challenges.

He also urged political actors to place the interests of the people above partisan considerations and embrace peace, unity and the rule of law across the entire Nigerian democratic political landscape.

Elections, he said, should absolutely not be battles of violence but contests of ideas, competence, character and service to the people who were desperately yearning for functional and progressive good governance.

Obi expressed hope that the Osun experience would strengthen Nigerians’ confidence in the democratic process and inspire citizens to remain extremely vigilant and committed to building a truly prosperous, people-centred nation.