Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Kogi West Senator and governorship candidate, Dino Melaye, has delivered a scathing mockery of the All Progressives Congress following the party's crushing defeat in Saturday's Osun State governorship election, declaring that the ruling party should "rest in peace" after failing to secure victory despite the full weight of federal power being deployed against the opposition.
Melaye, who has been a vocal critic of the APC and President Bola Tinubu, took to his X handle on Sunday, August 16, 2026, to celebrate the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, who was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 511,067 votes against the APC's Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.
In his post, Melaye mocked the APC for failing to secure Osun State despite boasting about the support of President Tinubu, 34 state governors, and the Senate President. "Till we meet again APC. Rest in Peace. 34 Governors, Senate President and Tinubu defeated. Odabo Tinubu… Ancestral State lost," Melaye wrote, using "Odabo" – a Yoruba word meaning "goodbye" – to drive home his point.
The former lawmaker's jibe at the APC's loss in what he described as Tinubu's "ancestral state" struck a nerve, as Osun is widely regarded as the President's political home. Tinubu had been actively involved in the APC's campaign, summoning 76 party leaders to the Presidential Villa days before the election and ordering them to close ranks and ensure victory. Despite deploying federal might, including the freezing and subsequent unfreezing of the state government's account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the APC could not overcome Adeleke's popularity.
Several APC governors, including Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, had stormed Osun to campaign for Oyebamiji. Okpebholo had even mocked Adeleke as a "dancing governor," accusing him of neglecting governance. The governor's remarks, however, backfired spectacularly, with Adeleke's nephew, Afrobeats superstar Davido, clapping back by posting what appeared to be Okpebholo's WAEC results on social media.
Adeleke's victory was decisive. The governor won 19 of the state's 30 local government areas, with his strongest performances coming from his political base in Ede North and Ede South, while also posting impressive margins in Osogbo and other densely populated areas. The APC, despite retaining control of traditional strongholds like Ilesa East and Ilesa West, could not overcome Adeleke's statewide advantage.
Melaye's mocking post has generated widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians interpreting his words as a reflection of growing discontent with the APC and a sign that the ruling party's hold on the South-West may be weakening ahead of the 2027 general elections. His message was clear: despite the full weight of federal power, the people of Osun had spoken, and they had chosen Adeleke.
As the dust settles on the Osun election, Melaye's taunt serves as a reminder that no amount of federal might can override the will of the people. The APC, which had hoped to reclaim Osun as a strategic win ahead of 2027, has been dealt a humbling blow, and Melaye's words have added salt to the wound. For the ruling party, the path to 2027 just got a little steeper.
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