Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The quiet of the early morning hours in Osun State was shattered not by the sound of gunfire or political violence, but by the jeers of jubilant residents who had gathered to witness the departure of a convoy they associated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governors. In a viral video that has since swept across social media platforms, residents lining the roads were captured celebrating as the convoy of vehicles, reportedly carrying APC governors and other party bigwigs, left the state at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The scene was one of defiance and mockery, as the crowd could be heard chanting "Okpebholo Ole," a Yoruba phrase that translates to "Okpebholo thief," a direct and damning reference to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The convoy's departure came as the Independent National Electoral Commission continued collation of results from Saturday's governorship election, which showed incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party maintaining a commanding lead over his APC rival, Bola Oyebamiji. The footage, which began circulating around 2:09 a.m. in some versions, showed vehicle headlights cutting through the darkness as the convoy moved through the area, with residents gathered along the road, waving and shouting. The accompanying posts on social media claimed the APC governors were leaving Osun following the party's poor showing in the election.
The chants of "Okpebholo ole" were a direct response to the Edo governor's controversial campaign activities in Osun State ahead of the poll. Okpebholo had drawn significant attention after he publicly mocked Governor Adeleke over his well-known dancing style, suggesting that the governor prioritised dancing before attending to official duties. At an APC campaign rally, he urged voters to collect money offered by opponents but vote for the APC candidate. His remarks, which were seen as dismissive and disrespectful, quickly became a talking point in political and entertainment circles. Afrobeats superstar Davido, who is Adeleke's nephew, hit back at Okpebholo by sharing the Edo governor's alleged West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result on social media, a move that further intensified the online exchange.
The viral video of the residents' chant has generated mixed reactions online, with some users describing it as a sign of public rejection of the APC, while others questioned whether the footage should be treated as representative of Osun voters generally. However, the scene was undeniably a moment of political theatre that underscored the charged atmosphere surrounding the election. For many residents, Adeleke's dancing has become a defining part of his political identity, a symbol of his approachable personality. Okpebholo's attempt to weaponise it against him appears to have backfired spectacularly, culminating in the humiliating chants that accompanied his departure from the state.
The development followed Saturday's Osun governorship election, where Adeleke maintained a lead over Oyebamiji in provisional results. As of the early hours of Sunday, results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal and tracked by independent aggregators showed Adeleke with roughly 50 to 52 per cent of counted votes, while Oyebamiji had about 43 to 45 per cent. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, remained a distant third. The figures were still provisional as local government results were being collated at the state level.
The chanting video has added another layer to the political drama unfolding in Osun, where campaigns have increasingly spilled beyond traditional political platforms into social media, entertainment and popular culture. The incident also highlights how modern Nigerian politics increasingly plays out not only at campaign grounds and polling units but also on social media, where moments can quickly become symbols in a highly competitive electoral battle. For Governor Okpebholo, the sight and sound of Osun residents chanting "Okpebholo ole" as his convoy slipped out of the state in the dead of night will be a bitter memory, a reminder that in the court of public opinion, a single chant can echo far louder than any campaign slogan.
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