The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the Osun election, Bola Oyebamiji, has yet to publicly congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke after the incumbent was declared winner of Saturday’s poll, as pressure mounts on the former commissioner to accept the outcome.
Oyebamiji, in his latest post-election statement, focused instead on thanking APC supporters and raising the alarm over alleged attacks on party members.
He also said the party was reviewing the result, suggesting that the APC has not yet ruled out further action over the election.
Adeleke was declared winner with 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. ADC candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.
The result gave Adeleke a margin of 66,252 votes over his closest challenger.
In his statement, Oyebamiji thanked APC members, campaign volunteers and voters who supported his candidacy, but did not congratulate Adeleke on his victory.
“Although we had hoped for a different outcome in the election, in the meantime, we respect the position of the electoral umpire, and I totally support the decision of our party in its ongoing review of the outcome of the election,” he said.
The APC candidate urged his supporters to remain calm and peaceful as the state enters the post-election period.
He also accused unnamed actors of escalating attacks against APC supporters, urging the police and other security agencies to intervene.
“The violent attacks on our members witnessed in the build-up to the election have taken another dimension in the last 24 hours,” Oyebamiji said.
The development comes after a tense campaign season in Osun, where allegations of political violence and intimidation repeatedly featured in the contest between Adeleke and Oyebamiji.
Both candidates had also participated in efforts aimed at promoting a peaceful election. Candidates and their representatives signed a peace accord ahead of the poll, with stakeholders urging politicians to reject violence and respect the electoral process.
With Adeleke now declared winner, attention has shifted to how the APC candidate will respond to the outcome.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has urged Oyebamiji to congratulate Adeleke and accept the verdict of voters.
Bamidele argued that democracy requires contestants to respect the decision of the majority after an election, while calling on Adeleke to use his renewed mandate to promote inclusive governance.
He specifically appealed to Oyebamiji to reach out to Adeleke, congratulate him and share policy ideas that could help improve governance in the state.
The appeal adds to calls from prominent political figures for the APC candidate to acknowledge Adeleke’s victory.
President Bola Tinubu and other political leaders have also been reported to have congratulated the governor.
The development carries added political significance because Adeleke has maintained cordial relations with Tinubu despite his opposition to the APC’s Osun political structure. The governor had earlier reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
For now, Oyebamiji appears to have chosen caution, acknowledging the electoral umpire’s declaration while backing the APC’s review of the result.
The next major test will be whether the review produces a legal challenge or whether the APC candidate ultimately accepts the result and reaches out to the governor.
