African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the stoppage of results uploads on its Result Viewing (IReV) portal during the Osun State governorship election.
An INEC ad hoc official prepares the ballot papers voting at a polling unit in the Osun State governorship election on August 15, 2026
Okonkwo, who spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, said while he accepted the outcome of the election and congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his victory, INEC’s handling of the results transmission could not be commended.
He questioned why the commission suspended the uploading of results on IReV at about 8 p.m. on election day and demanded an explanation from the electoral body.
According to him, the delay created apprehension and forced people to rely on physical collation centres for updates.
Okonkwo said the commission’s performance should therefore be questioned, particularly over the interruption in the electronic publication of polling-unit results.
He also urged opposition parties to prepare more effectively for the 2027 general elections, arguing that Nigeria’s electoral system still has significant challenges to overcome.
Despite his criticism of INEC, Okonkwo praised Osun voters for what he described as a decisive election outcome and for resisting intimidation and other forms of electoral pressure.
He also commended the ADC’s performance, noting that the party had contested the election without the backing of state or federal government machinery.
Governor Adeleke was declared the winner after polling 511,067 votes, ahead of his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured 444,815 votes. ADC candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
