Reported Simon Daniel Yusuph l journalist at wengglobal
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has declined to immediately congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke following the August 15, 2026 governorship election, with the party’s campaign Director-General, Oluwole Oke, saying the party will first review the outcome of the poll before deciding its next course of action.
Oke’s position comes after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the incumbent governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, winner of the closely watched Osun governorship election.
The APC campaign leadership has maintained that the party is reviewing the election results and the circumstances surrounding the conduct and collation of the poll. The decision not to immediately issue a congratulatory message reflects the opposition party’s determination to scrutinise the electoral process before accepting the outcome as final from its perspective.
The development adds another layer to a highly contested election that had been characterised by intense campaigning, political accusations, security concerns and competing claims of public support between Adeleke and the APC candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
The Punch reported the APC campaign DG’s position in a social media publication on the development, highlighting the party’s decision not to rush into congratulating Adeleke while its review of the election continues. (Facebook)
APC Says Review Must Come Before Final Position
Oke’s stance is significant because the APC had entered the election with strong public confidence in its prospects.
Throughout the campaign, the party repeatedly predicted that it would defeat Adeleke and return to power in Osun State. Oke, who represents the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, had previously described the APC as experienced in unseating incumbent governors.
In April, during the inauguration of the APC campaign council in Osogbo, Oke said the party expected to remove Adeleke from office before the end of election day and expressed confidence that Oyebamiji would emerge victorious. Punch reported the declaration as part of the party’s campaign mobilisation ahead of the August 15 poll. (Punch Newspapers)
The APC’s decision to review the election outcome before congratulating Adeleke therefore represents a significant shift from the confidence displayed during the campaign.
It also illustrates the difference between a political party conceding an election and simply acknowledging that an opposing candidate has been declared the winner by the electoral commission.
For the APC, the review process could determine whether it accepts the result or considers pursuing available legal and constitutional avenues.
Adeleke Declared Winner After Closely Watched Poll
The Osun governorship election was one of Nigeria’s most closely followed off-cycle elections in 2026.
Adeleke, contesting on the platform of the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, sought a second term in office. His principal challenger was APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, a former Osun commissioner for finance and a prominent figure in the state’s political structure.
The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, was also among the major contenders.
INEC had earlier finalised the list of candidates for the election, confirming 14 political parties for the August 15 contest. The commission’s final list showed Adeleke as the Accord candidate, Oyebamiji as the APC candidate and Salaam as the ADC candidate. (Punch Newspapers)
The election followed months of intense political activity, including defections, competing endorsements, allegations of political violence and disputes over the preparedness and neutrality of institutions involved in the electoral process.
The Guardian had described Adeleke and Oyebamiji as the two leading candidates ahead of the election and reported that the contest was taking place amid heightened political tension in the state. (The Guardian Nigeria)
A Campaign Marked by Strong Claims From Both Sides
The decision by the APC not to immediately congratulate Adeleke cannot be separated from the tone of the campaign preceding the election.
Oke and other APC leaders repeatedly predicted victory for their candidate.
In April, Oke said the party would defeat Adeleke before 10 p.m. on election day. BusinessDay also reported the APC campaign DG’s assertion that the party would remove the incumbent governor from office and install Oyebamiji. (Business Day)
The APC subsequently intensified its grassroots campaign, including the inauguration of polling-unit canvassers and campaign structures across the state’s senatorial districts and federal constituencies.
Oyebamiji also expressed confidence that the APC had sufficient grassroots support to reclaim Osun. The Sun reported in early August that the APC candidate declared that the party had the numbers to win the election and expressed confidence in victory. (The Sun Nigeria)
The party’s expectations were therefore considerably different from the eventual outcome announced by INEC.
That political context helps explain why the APC leadership is now taking time to examine the result before deciding whether to formally concede.
Electoral Disputes Are Not New in Osun
Osun has a history of closely contested governorship elections and post-election litigation.
The 2022 governorship election between Adeleke, then running on the PDP platform, and APC’s Gboyega Oyetola also generated a prolonged legal battle.
Adeleke was declared winner of that election before the APC challenged the result at the tribunal and subsequently pursued appeals. The dispute eventually reached the Supreme Court, which affirmed Adeleke’s victory.
That history is relevant to the current situation because political parties in Osun have previously demonstrated a willingness to subject disputed election results to judicial scrutiny rather than immediately accept them.
The 2022 experience also means that both political actors and voters are familiar with the constitutional processes available to candidates who believe an election has not reflected the law or the genuine choice of voters.
However, any decision by the APC to challenge the 2026 result would have to be based on legally admissible evidence and the applicable provisions of Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
APC’s Earlier Concerns Over the Electoral Process
Before the election, both major political camps raised concerns about the electoral environment.
The Adeleke campaign organisation had questioned aspects of INEC’s preparedness and called for safeguards around sensitive electoral materials, BVAS deployment, PVC distribution and result sheets.
At the same time, APC leaders accused the ruling camp of political intimidation and violence, allegations that were rejected by the Accord campaign and the Osun State Government.
P.M. News reported in July that the election was taking place against a backdrop of competing allegations of violence and political intimidation involving the two major parties. (PM News Nigeria)
The concerns were significant because election credibility depends not only on the final numerical result but also on the integrity of the processes through which votes are cast, accredited, counted and collated.
INEC, for its part, had repeatedly maintained that it was preparing to conduct a credible election and urged political parties and their supporters to comply with electoral rules.
What the APC Review Could Mean
The immediate question is what the APC intends to do after completing its review.
A party review could involve examining polling-unit results, ward-level figures, collation records and reports from its agents and observers. If the party identifies what it believes are substantial irregularities, it could seek legal redress within the time allowed by electoral law.
It is important, however, to distinguish between a party’s internal review and an established legal finding that an election was manipulated.
At this stage, the APC’s decision not to congratulate Adeleke should not automatically be interpreted as proof that the election was fraudulent or that the result will ultimately be overturned.
The burden of establishing electoral irregularities rests with any party or candidate challenging the result.
For the wider public, the most important consideration is that any dispute should be handled through lawful democratic and judicial channels rather than through confrontation or inflammatory rhetoric.
Political Implications for Osun
The development could also shape the political relationship between the APC and Adeleke’s Accord Party in the months ahead.
Adeleke’s victory gives him another mandate to govern the state, but the APC remains a major political force with significant structures across Osun.
The governor’s re-election will also have implications beyond Osun’s immediate political landscape. The state is strategically important to the political calculations of the South-West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The 2026 election was therefore watched closely by national political actors, particularly because of the competing interests surrounding President Bola Tinubu, former Osun governor Gboyega Oyetola and the various political movements seeking to influence the region’s future.
The Guardian had earlier described the Osun election as an important test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Need for Restraint and Respect for Due Process
As the APC reviews the result, political leaders have a responsibility to maintain calm among their supporters.
Osun’s electorate has already participated in the democratic process. Any disagreement over the outcome should now be resolved through evidence, law and established electoral procedures.
For INEC, the credibility of the election will also depend on the transparency with which it addresses legitimate questions raised by political parties and observers.
For the APC, a decision to accept the result would demonstrate political maturity, while a decision to challenge it would require the party to present a compelling evidentiary case before the appropriate legal institutions.
For Adeleke and his supporters, the result also carries a responsibility to demonstrate magnanimity in victory and ensure that governance remains inclusive, particularly given the competitive nature of the contest.
The wider lesson from Osun is that electoral democracy does not end with the announcement of results. It continues through the processes of verification, accountability, acceptance and, where necessary, lawful adjudication.
Wengglobal Perspective
The APC’s refusal to immediately congratulate Governor Adeleke should therefore be understood within the broader context of a fiercely contested election and the party’s stated intention to review the results.
The position does not, by itself, invalidate the INEC declaration. Neither does it establish that the election was compromised.
What happens next will depend on the evidence available to the APC and whether the party believes that any alleged irregularities meet the legal threshold required for an election petition.
The credibility of Nigeria’s democratic system ultimately depends on political actors respecting both the verdict of voters and the institutions established to resolve legitimate disputes.
For Osun, the priority should now be peaceful transition into the next phase of governance while allowing any genuine electoral grievances to follow due process.
The state has experienced intense political competition over successive election cycles. Its 2026 governorship election presents another opportunity for Nigeria’s political institutions to demonstrate that disagreements over electoral outcomes can be managed through law rather than confrontation.
As the APC conducts its review, the political spotlight will remain on the party’s next decision: whether to accept Adeleke’s victory and begin preparing for the next electoral contest, or pursue a formal legal challenge against the declared result.
Until such a decision is formally announced, the most responsible position is to distinguish between political claims, preliminary reviews and established facts — a principle that remains central to credible journalism and democratic accountability.
Sources
- The Punch — reported Oluwole Oke’s position that the APC would not rush to congratulate Adeleke while reviewing the Osun election outcome. (Facebook)
- The Punch — reported Oke’s earlier declaration that the APC intended to defeat Adeleke in the August 15 governorship election. (Punch Newspapers)
- BusinessDay — reported the APC’s pre-election confidence that it would remove Adeleke from office. (Business Day)
- The Guardian — provided background on the major candidates and the political tensions surrounding the Osun 2026 election. (The Guardian Nigeria)
- P.M. News — reported competing allegations of violence and political tension ahead of the Osun election. (PM News Nigeria)
- The Sun — reported Bola Oyebamiji’s pre-election declaration that the APC would defeat Adeleke. (The Sun Nigeria)
- INEC-related reporting via The Punch — documented the final list of candidates and the August 15 election timetable. (Punch Newspapers)
