Former Governor of Cross River State and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the outcome of the August 15 governorship election as a significant litmus test for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Duke, in a congratulatory statement signed by his Personal Assistant, Emeka Okparagu, on Sunday, said Adeleke’s victory demonstrated that the electorate could still make its choice through the ballot box.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, winner after he polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 445,815 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11.
Duke said the result represented the will of the Osun electorate and congratulated Adeleke on securing another four-year mandate.
“The people of Osun spoke with their vote and Nigerians heard them loud and clear. The people rewarded Governor Adeleke for his commitment to serving his people,” he said.
The victory gives Adeleke a second term following his earlier breakthrough in the 2022 governorship election, when he defeated the then incumbent, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, by 403,371 votes to 375,027.
The 2026 result marks another decisive electoral victory for Adeleke, who has successfully defended his mandate against the APC in a state that has emerged as an important political battleground ahead of the 2027 elections.
Duke said the August 15 poll provided important lessons for the country, particularly on voter participation, electoral credibility and the ability of citizens to freely determine their political leadership.
Against the backdrop of the Osun result, Duke called on opposition politicians to set aside their differences, personal egos and individual ambitions and work together if they hope to defeat the ruling APC in 2027.
He said the opposition could only mount a credible challenge to the ruling party by building a broad-based political alliance anchored on a common purpose and the national interest.
