Osun Poll: We Respect INEC’s Position, APC Guber Candidate, Oyebamiji, Declares

• We’re studying the results, says campaign DG 

•ADC alleges victory collaboration as Adeleke refutes working with opposition

• We’re finalising documentation of victims of election-related violence, Imole council 

•Davido hails uncle’s re-election, unveils plans for sports devt in state

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, yesterday, spoke for the first time since his defeat, saying he respected the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared Governor Ademola Adeleke winner of the election.

But the Director-General of the APC governorship campaign, Wole Oke, said the party did not agree with INEC’s election results and declaration, and that its ongoing review would determine its next step.

However, Oyebamiji in a message posted on X yesterday, three days after the August 15 governorship election, accepted defeat.

Adeleke, candidate of the Accord Party, was declared winner of the governorship election after polling 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

Oyebamiji commended the APC supporters and party leaders across the state for their commitment to his campaign, saying he remained grateful to those who believed in the alternative vision presented to voters.

“Although we had hoped for a different outcome in the election, in the meantime, we respect the position of the electoral umpire and I totally support the decision of our party in its ongoing review of the outcome of the election,” he said.

Oyebamij noted that the end of the campaign did not mean the end of the issues and values for which his campaign stood.

“The campaign has come to an end and the election is over, but the values and causes we championed are alive. We would continue to work for effective, inclusive and rapid development of our dear Osun,” he said.

The APC candidate equally urged his supporters to remain peaceful and engaged in their communities, while asking them to continue working for the collective interest of the state.

He, however, raised concerns over alleged attacks on APC members and supporters, saying the situation had worsened in the aftermath of the election.

“At the same time, I wish to alert the state government and security agents to the growing trend of hostility and violence against our members and supporters,” Oyebamiji said.

He alleged that attacks on APC supporters recorded before the election had “taken another dimension in the last 24 hours.”

Oyebamiji consequently called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intervene, urging his supporters to remain calm as they go about their activities.

He thanked voters, volunteers, party members and leaders who supported his candidacy, saying he remained “proud of the campaign we ran” and grateful for their confidence

But Oke, who did not agree with INEC said the party would not be pressured into congratulating Adeleke over his victory.

Oke stated this in an interview, saying the position of President Bola Tinubu, who had congratulated Adeleke was different from that of the party’s campaign team, which was “on the ground” and assessing the process.

“And like I’ve told you that what we are doing, even for future, for records, is to conduct a thorough review of the entire process and then form our opinion.

“We won’t be under any sort of pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke. We do not agree with the declaration of INEC. That’s our position for now. We believe he did not score the highest valid votes,” he said.

Oke said the APC campaign team was more concerned with reviewing the electoral process before making any decision.

“When you have a project of this nature with the outcome announced by INEC, we will not be in a haste, nor shall we be under pressure without doing the needful,” he said.

According to him, the party had commenced an audit of the election and directed its agents to submit relevant result sheets for scrutiny.

“We have embarked on an audit process. We have asked all our party agents to submit copies of Forms EC8A, B, and C to our secretariat for review. We need to inspect the materials,” Oke said.

Also, the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said the APC was still studying the results from all 332 wards.

The party said an election was “a process that continues through the tribunal, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court,” adding that it would consult its lawyers and explore all legal options available under the Electoral Act if irregularities were discovered.

Oke said the party would also examine issues arising from the pre-election period and the conduct of the election against provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.

“Until we do that and form our opinion, we won’t be able to go further to say anything on this,” he said.

ADC Alleges Victory Collaboration as Adeleke Refutes Working With Opposition

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has countered remarks by the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, that the party cooperated with Accord to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Abdullahi said the ADC collaborated with Accord to secure Adeleke’s re-election and hand the APC a bitter defeat.

He said the ADC had anticipated that opposition votes would be divided, creating an opportunity for the APC to emerge victorious.

“We saw the possibility of collaboration. We saw the possibility earlier enough that if we decided to go full throttle, the possibility that the opposition would divide the votes and the APC would take the victory was there.

“And that was why we saw the opportunity to work together, and that was what happened. That is why we can confidently celebrate what is going on in Osun, because for us, victory means that APC was defeated.

“We don’t see the fact that our governorship candidate did not emerge as an occasion of defeat or failure. The failure, the defeat of the APC, was a real victory for us,” Abdullahi said.

Asked whether the ADC directed its supporters to vote for Adeleke, Abdullahi said, “We cooperated with the Accord party,” adding that the decision was backed by the leadership of the ADC.

But in a tweet, Adeleke dismissed the claim.

While crediting God and the people of Osun for his re-election, Adeleke said the ADC was never part of the “rainbow coalition” that canvassed and supported his bid in last Saturday’s election.

He commended his political partners, who sacrificed to make the aspirations of Osun people a reality.

“I had no electoral deal or partnership with the ADC before, during, or after the governorship election. The credit for our victory goes to God Almighty and the good people of Osun State for their overwhelming support and re-election.

“For the sake of history, it is important to clarify that the ADC was never part of the rainbow coalition that canvassed, mobilised, and supported our campaign in the battle leading to last Saturday’s election.

“I commend all our political partners who sacrificed, worked tirelessly, and went all out to make Saturday a victory day for all Osun people. Their commitment and support were instrumental to our success.

“Now that the election is over, I remain the Governor of all Osun people, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, or tribe. My commitment is to unite our people and continue working for the progress and prosperity of Osun State,” the governor wrote on X.

We’re Finalising Documentation of Victims of Poll-related Violence, Says Imole Group

The Imole Campaign Council, yesterday, in Osogbo said the Council has made arrangements to collate numbers of victims of the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state.

In a statement by the Spokesperson, Imole Campaign Council (TICC), Pelumi Olajengbesi, it said, it “Once again extends its deepest sympathies to every individual and family who suffered loss of life, injury, assault, destruction of property, arrest or any other form of violence before, during and immediately after the Osun State Governorship Election.

“Further to our earlier statement directing the documentation of all victims of election-related violence across Osun State, the Campaign Council is now finalizing the exercise and calls on members of the public who are yet to submit details of affected persons to do so.

“We reiterate that this exercise is not party-based. It covers every victim, irrespective of political affiliation, party membership or voting preference.

“A citizen who lost a loved one, suffered injury or lost property deserves our collective sympathy, adequate support, justice and appropriate compensation without consideration for his or her political persuasion.”

He therefore urged members of the public to submit the following: Name of Victim, Local Government, Ward and Community, Phone Number or Details of Next of Kin, Nature of Incident: Death/Injury/Assault/Property Damage/Arrest, Date and Location of Incident, Brief Account of What Happened, Available Evidence: Photos/Videos/Medical or Police Reports/Witnesses and  Current Condition or Status of the Victims.

“The purpose of this documentation is not merely to keep a record, it is to provide a credible basis for pursuing justice, accountability, adequate support and appropriate compensation for victims and affected families,” Olajengbesi noted.

Davido Hails Adeleke’s Re-Election, Unveils Plans for Osun Youth Sports Development

Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said the re-election of his uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, was a remarkable victory achieved against formidable political opposition.

Davido spoke while addressing journalists at his country home, following  victory in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

The reknown singer, while congratulating Governor Adeleke, said the election was a difficult contest in which several prominent political figures allegedly rallied against the incumbent governor.

“Let me congratulate Mr. Governor for his re-election for the hard-fought battle. Let me not say battle but war, where you have 17 governors, 50 senators, House of Reps, I don’t know how many they were against one man and he came out victorious. God is good,” he said.

Davido  noted that the governor’s victory was largely due to the support of Osun voters, whom he praised for remaining steadfast and protecting their votes throughout the electoral process.

He stressed that the level of support for the Adeleke family during the election was overwhelming, adding that he became emotional several times while witnessing the events of election day.

“I can’t remember how many times I cried that day because the love was massive,” the singer said.

He also used the occasion to unveil his plans to deepen his involvement in youth and sports development in Osun State.

As chairman of the Osun State Sports Trust Fund, he said he had deliberately postponed some of his initiatives until after the governorship election.

“As chairman of the Sports Trust Fund, I want to do a lot of things but waited for the election to be over,” he said.