Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council in Osun State has firmly rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the August 15 governorship election, insisting that the governor did not secure the highest number of valid votes cast in the poll. The Director-General of the APC campaign, Oluwole Oke, made the party's position clear during an interview with Arise News on Monday, August 17, 2026, explaining why the party has yet to congratulate Adeleke on his re-election.
Oke stated that the APC disagrees with INEC's declaration and has commenced a thorough review of election materials before deciding its next course of action. "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," Oke declared. He further emphasised that the campaign organisation would not be pressured into accepting the outcome until it completes a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process. "We won't be under any sort of pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke," Oke said.
INEC had declared Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, the winner of the election after he polled 511,067 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11 councils, giving the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes.
Despite President Bola Tinubu's congratulatory message to Adeleke following the declaration, Oke said the APC campaign team's position remained distinct as it focused on examining events surrounding the election. He disclosed that the party had already begun an audit process and directed its agents across the state to submit relevant election documents 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.
The APC campaign chief indicated that the review would cover both the conduct of the election and issues arising before the poll, including compliance with the Electoral Act and other applicable laws. He further hinted that the party could explore legal options if its findings revealed grounds for further action, noting that the electoral process extends beyond the announcement of results and may continue through the election tribunal, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court where necessary. "Until we do that and form our opinion, we won't be able to go further to say anything on this," Oke said.
The APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, added that the party was still analysing results from all 332 wards in the state. Oke also defended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) freezing of Osun government accounts shortly before the election, stating that the agency was performing its lawful duty, while commending President Tinubu for directing that the accounts be unfrozen.
Taking a swipe at the Adeleke administration, Oke questioned its performance in key sectors, including education, healthcare, and agriculture. "When you look at this in totality, you can see the failures of government glaring in the citizens' faces," he said. He appealed to party supporters and members of the public to allow the APC to complete its review of the election before announcing its next move.
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