The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Ademola Adeleke as winner of the August 15, 2026, Osun governorship election, saying it believes the governor did not secure the highest number of valid votes.
The Director General of the APC Governorship Campaign Committee in Osun State, Oluwole Oke, disclosed this in an Arise News interview shared widely on Monday, August 18.
APC Begins Review of Election Records
Oke said the party was not under pressure to congratulate Adeleke, adding that it was studying the election records before taking a final position.
“We will not be under any pressure to reach out to Governor Adeleke. We believe he did not score the highest valid votes. We are studying the records and conducting a thorough review. Soon, we will make our position known to members of the public,” he said.
According to Oke, the APC has directed its polling and collation agents to submit copies of Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C for a detailed review.
He said the party would compare the documents and other electoral materials with the Electoral Act and relevant laws before deciding on its next action.
Adeleke Declared Winner
INEC declared Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, winner of the election after he polled 511,067 votes.
APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, scored 444,815 votes, while African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11. The margin between the two leading candidates was 66,252 votes.
APC Considers Next Step
Oke said the party’s review would cover both pre-election and election-day issues, insisting that the APC would not rush into a decision.
Earlier statements from the party indicated that it was considering legal options over alleged irregularities during the election. However, no formal petition or court filing had been confirmed at the time of reporting.
The Osun governorship election was held on August 15, with INEC completing the collation and declaring Adeleke winner in the early hours of August 16.
The APC’s ongoing review could determine whether the party proceeds with a formal legal challenge to the Osun election result.
