By Sunday Ameh
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has said it is studying the results of Saturday’s governorship election across the state before deciding on its next line of action.
The party, which lost the election to the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, said it would consider all legal avenues available under the Electoral Act before reaching a decision.
The APC disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information in Osun State, Kola Olabisi, on Sunday.
The party argued that an election process does not end with the declaration of results, noting that dissatisfied parties have constitutional opportunities to seek redress through the election tribunal, Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court.
“An election cannot be said to have been concluded without having explored all these constitutionally allowed legal opportunities,” the party said.
The APC said it would consult its team of lawyers and rely on their professional advice before determining whether to challenge the outcome of the poll.
While commending its members and supporters for remaining steadfast during the election, the party urged them to remain calm and avoid confrontations with members of the ruling PDP.
It also appealed to its supporters not to respond to what it described as provocative actions by members of the opposition.
The party said, “It is necessary to assure our members and supporters to remain steadfast about the current situation and have it in mind that it is not over until it is over.”
The APC further called on the Nigeria Police Force to intervene over what it described as the alleged molestation of some of its members and supporters by opposition members.
The development came after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner of the election in the early hours of Sunday.
According to INEC, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
The election recorded 1,005,800 votes cast across the 30 local government areas, with 985,079 votes declared valid. INEC also said 1,010,684 voters were accredited for the election.
Following his victory, Adeleke thanked the people of Osun State for entrusting him with another four-year mandate and extended an olive branch to his opponents.
However, the APC’s latest statement indicates that the political contest may not be completely over, as the party weighs its legal options following the governor’s re-election.
The APC maintained that the current political situation was only a passing phase and would eventually become part of the history of Osun State.
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