The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, has broken his silence following his defeat in Saturday’s election, declaring his respect for the outcome announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission while backing his party’s decision to review the result.
Oyebamiji is a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election after polling 511,067 votes, against Oyebamiji’s 444,815.
In a statement posted to his X account on Tuesday, three days after the election, Oyebamiji said, “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.”
In thanking members of the APC, Osun residents and his supporters for their steadfastness, commitment, sacrifice and tireless efforts throughout the campaign, Oyebamiji said their unwavering belief in the prosperity agenda he presented to the people of Osun were experiences he would forever cherish.
He added that although the campaign had ended, the causes behind it had not: “The campaign has come to an end and the election is over, but the values and causes we championed are alive. We would continue to work for effective, inclusive and rapid development of our dear Osun.”
Beyond conceding the outcome, Oyebamiji used the statement to raise fresh concerns over the safety of his supporters in the aftermath of the vote. He called the attention of the state government and security agencies to what he described as a growing pattern of hostility and violence against APC members and supporters, saying attacks that had characterised the campaign period had “taken another dimension” in the preceding 24 hours.
He specifically urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intervene and arrest the trend without delay, while calling on his supporters to remain calm and peaceful as they went about their daily activities in the post-election period.
The APC’s broader response to the result has centred on a formal review of the outcome. In a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the APC said its leadership was studying results from all 332 wards across the state to determine whether there were grounds to pursue further legal action.
The party’s statement noted that the electoral process does not end with the declaration of results, pointing to avenues for redress through the election tribunal, the Court of Appeal and, where necessary, the Supreme Court, while confirming its legal team was reviewing the constitutional options available.
Reaction to the outcome has extended beyond the parties directly involved, with one political analyst describing the result as a warning to the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that the vote demonstrated that the power of the electorate remained stronger than the influence wielded by political office holders, security agencies and other state institutions.
With Oyebamiji’s concession paired with an active legal review by his party, attention now turns to whether the APC will pursue a formal challenge to the result through Nigeria’s electoral tribunal system, even as concerns over post-election tensions in the state remain unresolved.
