Adeleke’s Osun Victory Is ‘Advance Payment’ Against APC in 2027 – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election as a warning ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and protect their votes.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) represented a strong expression of the electorate’s will.

The PDP said Adeleke’s victory was achieved despite what it described as intense political pressure and attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to take control of the state.

The party alleged that the APC deployed its political machinery to Osun in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election, but said voters resisted the alleged efforts and ensured that their ballots were protected.

According to the PDP, the developments surrounding the election, including alleged intimidation, assaults and arrests involving opposition figures, raised serious concerns about the neutrality of institutions involved in the electoral process.

The party also referenced a reported directive attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, as well as what it described as his subsequent invitation and release by the police ahead of the poll.

The PDP further alleged that security agencies were not sufficiently neutral during the electoral process and criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of state government accounts.

It also questioned what it described as a delay of more than two hours in the uploading of results from 470 polling units.

The party argued that such actions, if established, could undermine public confidence in elections and pose a threat to democratic governance.

The PDP, however, praised Osun voters for remaining determined throughout the process and urged Nigerians across the country to maintain the same level of vigilance as the 2027 elections approach.

It warned that political actors and institutions accused of attempting to undermine the electoral process would not necessarily abandon such efforts following the Osun outcome.

“While we commend the resilience of the electorate in Osun, we urge Nigerians not to rest on their oars as the 2027 elections approach,” the statement said.

The party called on citizens to vote, protect their ballots and ensure that their votes are reflected in the final results.

The PDP described the Osun outcome as an “advance payment” against the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, predicting that Nigerians would use the next general election to reject what it called an ineffective and destructive political class.

The party stressed that election results should reflect the freely expressed wishes of voters rather than the interests of a privileged minority.

The statement concluded with a call for sustained vigilance, saying citizens must remain alert to protect Nigeria’s democratic process.

The PDP’s reaction follows INEC’s declaration of Adeleke as winner of the Osun governorship election. The governor had previously faced concerns over electoral integrity during the campaign, with his campaign organisation urging INEC to address alleged shortcomings observed in earlier elections.

INEC had, however, repeatedly assured stakeholders before the election that it was committed to conducting a free, fair and credible poll that would reflect the will of Osun voters.