The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cast Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election in Osun State as an early political verdict against the ruling All Progressives Congress, saying the result could foreshadow the mood of voters in the 2027 general elections.
The PDP described Adeleke’s victory as an “advance payment” by Nigerians against the APC, while warning that the contest for credible elections would become more demanding ahead of the next general election.
The party’s position was contained in separate statements by its Interim National Working Committee, signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong, and its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed.
Ememobong said, “Overall, the result from Osun is an advance payment by Nigerians against the APC, the balance will come in 2027.”
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Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, with 511,067 votes to 444,815. He carried 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
Beyond the outcome itself, however, the PDP used the election to raise concerns about the conduct of the poll and the role of state institutions.
Ememobong alleged that the APC deployed extensive political machinery in Osun, while opposition figures faced intimidation, assaults, and arrests. He also referred to the police invitation and subsequent release of Senator Francis Fadahunsi, presenting the episode as part of the pressure allegedly placed on opposition politicians.
He further accused security agencies, particularly the police, of partiality. The PDP spokesman also criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for freezing the state government’s accounts and questioned the delay of more than two hours in the uploading of results from 470 polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said, “The manifest partiality of security agencies, especially the police, and even the shameful intervention by the EFCC freezing the accounts of the state; and the intentional delay … in uploading the results of the 470 polling units by INEC, are acts that are not just condemnable but are actions capable of derailing democracy.”
The allegations were presented by the PDP as evidence of the pressure surrounding the election. They were not independently established in the material provided.
Ememobong said the Osun electorate nevertheless resisted attempts to influence the process and delivered a result that favoured Adeleke.
He said, “Nigerians must vote, protect and defend their votes.”
He warned citizens against treating the Osun outcome as the end of the struggle for electoral integrity.
And as for the PDP, the significance of Osun extends beyond the state’s 2026 governorship contest. Ememobong said election outcomes should reflect voters’ freely expressed choices rather than political power or the influence of state institutions.
Separately, Mohammed congratulated Adeleke and acknowledged the mandate given to him by Osun voters. Although the governor no longer belongs to the PDP, having contested under Accord, the party’s publicity chief said it remained proud of its contribution to the state’s democratic development.
Mohammed also called on political actors to put Osun’s peace, progress, and interests ahead of partisan considerations, wishing Adeleke success in his second term.
