The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State says it will announce its official position on the August 15 governorship election after completing its review of the poll.
The Director-General of the APC Governorship Campaign Committee, Oluwole Oke, said the party was still examining the election results and would not be pressured into congratulating Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, Oke said the APC believed Adeleke did not secure the highest number of valid votes in the election.
‘Adeleke Did Not Score Highest Valid Votes’
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, winner of the election with 511,067 votes.
The APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, polled 444,815 votes to finish second, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won in 11.
Oke said the party was conducting a comprehensive review of the election before reaching a conclusion.
“We’re on the ground and politics is local. And like I’ve told you, what we are doing, even for future records, is to conduct a total review of the entire process and then form an opinion,” he said.
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APC: No Pressure to Congratulate Adeleke
Oke said the APC would not be pressured into congratulating Adeleke, insisting that the party still had concerns about the results declared by INEC.
“We won’t be under any sort of pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke because we believe he did not score the highest valid votes,” he said.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s decision to congratulate Adeleke was based on the official result announced by INEC.
“Mr. President, His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, is the father of the nation. And as a democrat, based on the announcement of INEC, he issued a statement credited to him. He’s a father, he’s a leader, but we’re on the spot,” Oke said.
Party to Announce Position After Investigation
The APC campaign director-general said the party was studying and inspecting the election records before making its position known.
“We’re studying the records. We’re inspecting the records. And very soon, we will make our position known to the members of the public,” he said
“We’re on the ground and politics is local. And like I’ve told you, what we are doing, even for future records, is to conduct a total review of the entire process and then form an opinion,” he said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.