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President urges gov to unite state, deliver growth •Adeleke extends olive branch, backs Tinubu for 2027 • Atiku: 2027 defeat of APC inevitable • ADC, PDP, IPAC, TMG applaud voters’ mandate •APC vows to explore legal options
By Fred Itua, Philip Nwosu, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Ndubuisi Orji, Adesuwa Tsan, Okwe Obi and Sola Ojo, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it was studying the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election and would consult its lawyers before deciding its next step.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke, candidate of the Accord Party, winner after he polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 445,815 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11.
The result gives Adeleke a second term in office, following his victory over the then incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, in the 2022 election.
Reacting to the result, Tinubu said he had personally called Adeleke to congratulate him and urged the governor to use his renewed mandate to unite the people of Osun State and pursue development irrespective of their political affiliations.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said Adeleke’s victory confirmed the confidence of the people of Osun in his leadership.
“I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today 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,” Tinubu said.
He urged Adeleke to “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.”
Tinubu also commended the other contestants for what he described as the courage and discipline they displayed during the election.
“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.
The President commended INEC and the security agencies for conducting what he described as a peaceful and transparent election that produced a clear winner.
•NGF hails Adeleke
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) also congratulated Adeleke, describing his victory as evidence of the confidence reposed in his leadership by Osun voters.
In a statement by its Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the forum said Adeleke’s achievements and personal qualities contributed to his victory.
The NGF commended the people of Osun for their turnout and said the interest generated by the off-cycle election demonstrated the resilience of Nigeria’s democracy.
It also commended the security agencies for creating an environment that allowed the election to take place with minimal incidents.
The forum expressed confidence that Adeleke would build on the achievements of his first term in the interest of the people of Osun State.
•PDP, opposition groups hail result
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the National Working Committee led by Abdulraham Mohammed, described Adeleke’s victory as well-deserved.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, the party said the result reflected the confidence Osun residents had in Adeleke, despite his having contested the election on the Accord Party platform.
A rival PDP faction led by Tanimu Turaki described the result as a possible preview of the 2027 general election.
The faction alleged that the APC deployed intimidation and pressure in its bid to take control of the state but was resisted by voters.
It also criticised alleged partiality by security agencies and raised concerns over the freezing of state government accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the electoral period.
The faction further questioned the delay in uploading results from some polling units, saying such developments could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also congratulated Adeleke, describing the outcome as a victory for democracy and opposition cooperation.
The party, however, demanded an explanation from INEC over what it described as a prolonged halt in the uploading of results to the commission’s result-viewing portal.
The ADC said INEC should provide an account of the development to strengthen confidence in the electoral process.
•APC studies result, weighs legal options
The APC said it was studying the result of the election and would determine its next course of action after consulting its legal team.
In a statement by the APC Director of Media and Information in Osun, Kola Olabisi, the party said INEC’s declaration did not foreclose constitutional avenues available to an aggrieved candidate or political party.
According to the party, the electoral process extends from voter registration and party primaries through the election proper and, where necessary, to the tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
It said it would explore provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, to challenge any anomalies it believed occurred during the election.
“An election cannot be said to have been concluded without exploring all constitutionally allowed legal opportunities to correct anomalies observed in the process,” the party said.
The APC urged its supporters to remain calm and avoid provocative actions while consultations with its lawyers continued.
It also appealed to the police to protect its members and supporters against alleged harassment by members of the ruling party in the state.
The party said its commitment to the rule of law, fairness and justice would guide whatever decision it eventually takes.
•Obi urges Nigerians to protect votes
Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate Peter Obi described the Osun result as a victory for democracy and urged Nigerians to draw lessons from the election ahead of the 2027 general election.
Obi said Osun voters had demonstrated courage by exercising their constitutional right to choose their leaders and commended youths for what he described as their peaceful defence of their votes.
“The electorate has once again demonstrated that political power ultimately belongs to the people and that citizens have the constitutional right to determine who governs them.”
Obi urged Nigerians facing economic hardship, insecurity and deprivation to recognise the power of the ballot in demanding accountable leadership.
“This is also a clarion call as we approach 2027. Nigerians must remain informed, participate actively, vote, and protect their votes,” he said.
Obi also appealed to political actors to place national interest above partisan considerations and said elections should be contests of ideas, competence, character and service rather than violence.
•Duke: Poll litmus test
Former Cross River State governor and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, described the Osun election as a litmus test for the 2027 general election.
Duke, in a congratulatory statement signed by his Personal Assistant, Emeka Okparagu, said the result demonstrated that voters could determine their political leadership through the ballot.
“The people of Osun spoke with their vote and Nigerians heard them loud and clear. The people rewarded Governor Adeleke for his commitment to serving his people,” he said.
Duke called on opposition politicians to set aside their differences and work together ahead of the 2027 election.
He urged opposition leaders to build a broad-based political alliance anchored on a common purpose and the national interest.
Duke also congratulated INEC for conducting what he described as a free and fair election and urged the commission to sustain public confidence in the electoral process.
•Hashim, Natasha hail voters
Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, congratulated Adeleke and described his re-election as a victory for democracy and the people of Osun State.
Hashim commended Osun voters for participating in the electoral process and said the result demonstrated the power of citizens to determine who governs them.
“This victory is, above all, a testament to the power of the people and the enduring strength of democracy,” he said. He urged Adeleke to regard his re-election as a renewed mandate to serve all residents of the state irrespective of political affiliation.
“Elections end, but governance continues. The real responsibility now is to build an Osun where every citizen has a sense of belonging, where development reaches every community, young people have meaningful opportunities, and peace, justice and prosperity remain shared aspirations,” Hashim said.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan also congratulated Adeleke, saying the election demonstrated that political power belonged to the electorate. She commended Osun voters for participating despite concerns over security and political pressure and praised INEC for its conduct of the election.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also acknowledged the role of music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, in campaigning for his uncle’s re-election.
•Adeleke extends olive branch
Adeleke, speaking at his country home in Ede yesterday, appealed for peace and unity in the state following the election.
He urged his supporters not to attack opposition members and called on community leaders and traditional institutions to promote peace-building initiatives.
The governor observed a minute’s silence for victims of pre-election violence and dedicated his victory to the people of Osun State.
“As you have trusted me with a second term in office, I will reinforce my strong points and correct my errors,” he said.
Adeleke promised to accelerate development under his renewed five-point agenda and said his administration would work for all residents irrespective of political affiliation.
“In this race, there is no victor, no vanquished. I extend an olive branch to my co-contestants. I am the governor of all Osun people,” he said.
He also commended Tinubu for what he described as support for a free and fair election and reaffirmed his endorsement of the President for a second term in 2027.
Adeleke said his victory had deepened his faith in democracy and thanked the media, supporters and others who supported his campaign.
•Atiku: 2027 defeat of APC inevitable
Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has declared the outcome of the Osun State governorship election a clear indication that the APC will be defeated in the 2027 general election.
Atiku, in a statement issued by his media office yesterday, congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke and the people of Osun State on the election, saying the result reflected the wishes of the electorate.
He said the poll demonstrated that voters could protect their ballots against rigging, vote-buying and other electoral irregularities when they remained determined to defend their votes.
“The outcome of last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Osun State is an expression of the wishes of the people, which has earned Governor Adeleke his re-election,” he said.
Atiku urged Nigerians to replicate the level of participation witnessed in Osun during the 2027 general election.
“The lesson from the election is that the voters in Osun State have set a good example of how we must come out in large numbers in the general elections next year,” he said.
He added that the election showed that the collective resolve of voters to protect their ballots remained the strongest defence against electoral malpractice.
Atiku alleged that the deployment of armed personnel was intended to intimidate voters but said the outcome nevertheless demonstrated what he described as the declining popularity of the APC under President Bola Tinubu.
“Nigerians have roundly rejected the APC. The election in Osun State is just a telling indication that the APC will be defeated in the general election in January 2027. Indeed, it is a forerunner of the 2027 General Elections,” he said.
He commended Adeleke for mobilising voters and urged him to consolidate his administration’s achievements during his second term. “I specifically thank Governor Adeleke for mobilizing the people of Osun State to stand firm in the face of state-sponsored intimidation and for leading the country into the path of the total defeat of the APC,” Atiku said.
He also urged the governor to sustain what he described as good governance and make the state a model of development.
•APM: Nigerians have rejected APC
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM), in a separate reaction, also described the Osun result as evidence of growing rejection of the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while projecting its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, as the alternative to Tinubu.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, said the outcome demonstrated that political establishments could be defeated when voters resolved to change their leaders.
The APM said the result had exposed what it described as widespread dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration, citing economic hardship, inflation, unemployment, insecurity and infrastructural decay.
It said the victory recorded by Adeleke was not only a setback for the APC in Osun but also a warning ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“The triumph of the people over the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s governorship election in Osun not only foretastes the defeat that awaits President Tinubu in 2027 but also firmly established Makinde’s people-driven position that every political establishment seems unbeatable until the people decide otherwise,” the party said.
The APM also cited reported booing of APC leaders during the election period as evidence, in its view, of growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling party.
It accused the Tinubu administration of worsening insecurity and economic hardship and said Nigerians were seeking what it described as honest, transparent and people-oriented leadership.
The party said Makinde’s record as governor of Oyo State had positioned him as a credible candidate for the presidency in 2027.
It urged the APC to abandon any plan to rig the 2027 election, warning that attempts to subvert the will of voters would be resisted.
The APM congratulated Osun voters on what it described as the triumph of their democratic will and said it would work towards defeating the APC in the 2027 presidential election.
•IPAC, APM urge respect for mandate
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) called on the APC and other contestants to respect the outcome of the election.
IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, described Adeleke’s victory as a victory for democracy and the rule of law.
He commended INEC, security agencies, civil society organisations, observers and other stakeholders involved in the election.
Dantalle, however, raised concerns over alleged harassment, intimidation, arrests and violence before the poll and urged stakeholders to prevent a recurrence.
•TMG cautions against subverting result
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) urged politicians not to use electoral litigation to overturn what it described as the mandate of Osun voters.
In a statement signed by its Chairman and Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the group urged the judiciary to ensure that electoral disputes strengthened rather than weakened the sanctity of the ballot.
It called on candidates and political parties with legitimate grievances to pursue them through lawful electoral and judicial channels.
TMG also commended INEC for what it described as the relatively seamless conduct of the poll and the deployment of technology for results transmission.
It, however, said vote-buying, intimidation, thuggery and voter suppression should not be attributed entirely to the electoral commission, arguing that political actors and their supporters also played roles in such practices.
