By Our Correspondent

Former Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the outcome as a reflection of democracy and a potential boost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prospects ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Kalu, in a statement issued by his media office on Sunday, said the outcome of the Osun governorship election should not be interpreted as a setback for President Tinubu or the All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that the President’s political future in the state remains “very bright.”

He said the outcome would provide an opportunity for the APC to reassess its strategies, strengthen its grassroots structures and deepen engagement with stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in congratulating Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election as the Governor of Osun State. I also sympathise with the APC leadership, our party’s governorship candidate and all our supporters over the outcome of the election,” Kalu said.

The former Abia governor also commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, for his contributions to the development of the state, while urging party members to remain united and focused.

According to him, the election demonstrated the strength of Nigeria’s democratic process and the need for political actors to respect the will of the electorate.

“What happened in Osun is democracy in play. Elections are about the choice of the people, and as a party, we should be able to come back stronger,” he said.

Kalu maintained that President Tinubu remains capable of securing broad-based support in Osun State in 2027, noting that political alliances and support for the President could extend beyond the APC to stakeholders and members of other political parties, including the Accord Party.

“The future of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Osun State is very bright. The outcome of this election is not a setback for Mr. President. Rather, it gives us another opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the people and work together for the success of Nigeria,” Kalu said.

He urged APC leaders and supporters not to be discouraged by the election result but to use it as a learning experience ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke was declared winner of the August 15 Osun State governorship election after polling 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11 LGAs.

The State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, declared Adeleke the winner at about 7:24 a.m. on Sunday.

The Returning Officer announced that 1,010,684 voters were accredited, with 1,005,800 total votes cast, 985,079 valid votes and 20,721 rejected votes.

Declaring the result, Ogunwole said: “That Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election and returned elected.”

Kalu urged all stakeholders to accept the outcome and focus on strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, while calling on political leaders to continue working for national unity and development.

He expressed optimism that with renewed engagement and strategic mobilisation, the APC and President Tinubu could secure stronger support in Osun State and across the country ahead of 2027.

By Our Correspondent

As Osun Voters await the outcome of August 15, governorship election,the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) has recorded 323 cases of electoral offences and irregularities in 726 polling units observed across Osun State as voting continued in Saturday’s governorship election.

The Hub, comprising the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), International Press Centre (IPC), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre (TKC) and Yiaga Africa, also reported 38 security incidents as of 12 noon.

Addressing newsmen at the end of voting in Osogbo, on Saturday, the Executive Director, International Press Center, Lanre Arogundafe, said its 823 accredited observers were deployed across the 30 local government areas of the state to monitor the election.

He added that the reported electoral offences and irregularities included 103 cases of vote trading, 12 cases of multiple voting, 28 cases involving inducement of polling and security officials, 38 cases of campaigning at polling units and 14 cases of voter impersonation.

He said, “As at 12 noon, the Hub’s observers have recorded 38 security incidents with 25 reported cases of thuggery, 12 attacks on electoral officials and 9 cases of voter intimidation by security personnel.

“Furthermore, of the 726 polling units observed, there were reported 323 cases of electoral offences and irregularities including vote trading (103), multiple voting (12), inducement of polling and security officials (28), campaigning at PUs (38), voter impersonation (14), misconduct by election officials (7), obstruction of voters (31) and exposure of ballot papers (85).”

He added that, “The election environment has been generally conducive for journalists and observers, with no major incident reported as at the time of this report relating to impeded access to polling units.

“The hub’s fact checkers were able to detect and fact-check about eleven false claims relating to alleged payment of INEC officials, arrests by the police, underage voting, among others, as at the time of this report. The outcomes were all amplified, but other claims relating to shooting and disruption of voting are being fact-checked.”

By George Mgbeleke

After what could be described as large turn out of voters during the casting of votes in parts of Osogbo and specifically in the Ogo-Oluwa, Golf Junction region of Osogbo, near the location of Accord party secretariat in the Osun State capital, armed thugs, allegedly hired by the All Progressives Congress, (APC) started shooting sporadically, in an effort to hijack the ballot box at Polling Unit 1, Ward 2.

While the votes were still being counted at the Polling Unit, approximately eight masked thugs appeared, discharging their weapons and shooting indiscriminately and instilling fear among the voters present at the polling unit.

Nevertheless, the security personnel assigned to the unit successfully safeguarded part of the ballot box.

Regarding the delay in counting, the Presiding Officer clarified that the voters themselves caused the holdup by insisting on casting their votes despite arriving late at the polling unit.

An eyewitness recounted to his experience saying , “I must be honest, these are thugs affiliated with the APC. This polling unit is under the jurisdiction of Accord. The large crowd here indicates a clear victory for Accord. This is the reason for the chaos.

The police in desparate effort managed to secure some of the ballot papers, but the thugs absconded with the remainder.

“They are determined to undermine the will of the people. This reflects the nature of the federal government we have. The citizens have expressed their desire for the incumbent to remain in power, yet here we are, facing attempts to seize control of the state by any means necessary.”

As the election draws to an end, leading the race is the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is running under the Accord. He is joined by Bola Oyebamiji, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress, (APC), and Najeem Salaam, representing the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

In addition to these three primary candidates, there are 12 other individuals on the ballot. They include: Olanrewaju Farinloye from the Action Alliance; Olajide Esan of the African Action Congress; Adeagbo Opawoye from the African Democratic Party; Adesina Adeyemi-Doro of the All Progressives’ Grand Alliance; Adewale Adebayo of the Allied Peoples Movement; Clement Adesuyi from the Action Peoples Party; Masilo Adeleke of the Boot Party; Taofeek Adeleke from the New Nigeria Peoples Party; Saliu Oyelami of the Peoples Redemption Party; Olalekan Ogunsakin of the Young Progressives Party; Francis Ajala from the Social Democratic Party; and Adefemi Adesuyi of the Zenith Labour Party.

Yemisi Adeagbo, representing the African Democratic Party, is the sole female candidate in this election.