The All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team in Osun State has rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as winner of the August 15 governorship election.
Oluwole Oke, Director-General of the APC governorship campaign council for Bola Oyebamiji, said the party does not agree with INEC’s declaration and believes Adeleke did not secure the highest number of valid votes.
INEC had declared Adeleke of the Accord Party winner after he polled 511,067 votes, defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Oke said the APC campaign council would not be pressured into congratulating Adeleke, insisting that the party needed to conduct a comprehensive review of the election results before deciding on its next step.
According to him, the campaign team has commenced an audit of the election and directed its agents across the state to submit copies of relevant result sheets for verification.
The APC said it was reviewing results from all 332 wards in Osun State as part of its assessment of the election.
Oke added that the review would cover not only the results announced by INEC but also issues surrounding the conduct of the election and the pre-election process.
The campaign council said it would consult its legal team after completing the review and determine whether to pursue available legal options under the Electoral Act.
The development comes two days after INEC declared Adeleke the winner of the closely contested election, giving him a second four-year term as governor of Osun State.
The APC’s position means the Osun election could face further legal and political scrutiny as the party considers its next move.
