The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has congratulated Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election, describing the outcome of the governorship election as a victory for democracy and the people of the state.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party commended Osun voters for participating in the election despite what it described as intimidation, political pressure and a heavy deployment of government resources.
The ADC said the result demonstrated that political influence and government machinery could not determine the choices of voters when citizens were determined to exercise their democratic rights.
The party stated, “The people of Osun have shown Nigerians that no political machine is greater than a determined electorate.”
However, while congratulating Adeleke, the opposition party raised concerns over an alleged interruption in the uploading of election results on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The ADC called on INEC to explain the circumstances surrounding the reported halt, which it said lasted for several hours during the collation of results. The party argued that transparency over the incident was necessary to maintain public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The party’s reaction is significant because the Osun election has attracted considerable national attention ahead of the 2027 general elections. Political parties are already studying the outcome for lessons on voter mobilisation, opposition cooperation and the influence of incumbency.
INEC declared Adeleke the winner after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who recorded 444,811 votes. ADC candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
The ADC said the election should encourage Nigerians to remain actively involved in the democratic process while urging electoral authorities to address concerns surrounding result transmission.
With the poll concluded, attention is now shifting toward Adeleke’s second-term administration and the political lessons parties will draw from the Osun contest as preparations for 2027 gather momentum.
