The Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign in Osun State, Oluwole Oke, has said the party will not be pressured into congratulating Governor Ademola Adeleke on his victory in the August 15 governorship election.
Oke said the APC was reviewing the election results and would determine its next course of action after examining the electoral process.
He spoke on Arise News on Monday, stressing that the position of President Bola Tinubu, who had congratulated Adeleke after the declaration of the results, was separate from that of the APC campaign team.
According to Oke, the campaign team was on the ground and focused on conducting a detailed assessment of the election.
He said the party disagreed with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Adeleke as the winner, insisting that the governor did not secure the highest number of valid votes.
INEC declared Adeleke the winner after he polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Oke said the APC had begun auditing the election and directed its agents to submit copies of Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C for scrutiny.
He said the party would also examine the conduct of the election and events leading up to the poll against the provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.
The APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, also confirmed that the party was studying results from all 332 wards in the state.
The party said it would consult its legal team and consider all available legal options, including seeking redress through the election tribunal and other courts, if irregularities were established.
Oke urged the public to give the party time to complete its review before announcing its next course of action.
He also criticised the Adeleke administration, alleging shortcomings in education, healthcare and support for farmers in the state.
