Residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, reportedly mocked members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as some of the Party’s governors and senior chieftains departed the State following the defeat of the Party’s governorship candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
A video circulating after the August 15 governorship election showed a convoy believed to be carrying APC leaders moving through parts of Osogbo in the early hours of Sunday.
As the vehicles passed, some residents gathered along the road and could be heard chanting “Ole,” the Yoruba word for “thief”.
The scene came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party the winner of the keenly contested election.
According to the results cited in reports on the election, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.
The outcome handed Adeleke another term as Governor and represented a major setback for the APC, which had invested significant political resources in its campaign to unseat the incumbent.
The departure of APC leaders from Osogbo followed weeks of intense political activity in the State, during which several governors, national figures and other prominent Party members rallied support for Oyebamiji.
The APC had presented the former Osun Commissioner for Finance as its candidate in an election widely regarded as an important test of the Party’s strength ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The atmosphere surrounding the poll had remained tense, with the two major political camps trading accusations over alleged attempts to influence the electoral process.
Ahead of voting, both sides raised concerns about the conduct of the election and the activities of security personnel.
Adeleke, who voted in his Ede North Local Government Area, had raised an alarm shortly after casting his ballot. He alleged that a police officer identified as “London” had been brought from Port Harcourt to disrupt voting in his stronghold.
The Governor appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to pay close attention to developments during the election.
“There is one police officer called London from Port Harcourt, they brought him to come and disorganise the vote,” Adeleke was quoted as saying.
He also expressed concern about the movement and collation of election results, alleging that there were attempts to bypass the established procedure.
Adeleke called on electoral and security authorities to ensure that results followed the required process from polling units through wards and local government collation centres.
The allegations added to the tension surrounding an election that had attracted considerable national attention.
The APC and its supporters had, however, maintained confidence in Oyebamiji’s chances throughout the campaign. The Party had repeatedly argued that the Adeleke administration had failed to meet the expectations of Osun residents and that voters were ready for a change.
Oyebamiji himself had campaigned on the promise of providing what he described as accountable and equitable governance.
In the months leading up to the election, he also repeatedly expressed confidence in the APC’s ability to defeat Adeleke.
The APC campaign had mobilised extensively across the State’s 30 local government areas and 332 wards. Party leaders also deployed grassroots canvassers as part of efforts to strengthen its support ahead of election day.
The scale of the mobilisation reflected the importance the APC attached to reclaiming Osun, a State where the Party had previously controlled the Government before Adeleke’s emergence.
The 2026 election was also closely watched because of its potential implications for the political calculations leading into 2027.
Adeleke’s victory therefore represents more than a personal electoral triumph. It strengthens his political standing in Osun and provides his supporters with renewed confidence ahead of the next election cycle.
After INEC declared him winner, Adeleke described the result as a victory for democracy and expressed appreciation to voters across the State.
He said the mandate represented a message from the people of Osun and pledged to justify their confidence by accelerating development.
Adeleke said his administration’s ambition was to transform Osun from what he described as a predominantly civil-service State into an industrialised State.
“This is the Osun people saying ‘Thank you, Mr. Governor.’ I will repay that ‘thank you’ back by making sure that I have a vision,” he said.
He added that his vision was to ensure that development reached different parts of the State.
The Governor also appealed to Oyebamiji to accept the result and congratulate him, describing the APC candidate as a civilised person who should acknowledge the outcome.
“I expect Oyebamiji, as a civilised person, to call and congratulate me,” Adeleke said.
The Governor further disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had called to congratulate him after his victory.
Adeleke expressed appreciation to the President, saying the call demonstrated the importance of allowing democratic processes to function.
“Mr. President has called me, and he has congratulated me,” he said.
The Governor also attributed his success at the polls to his faith, maintaining that he had remained confident throughout the campaign.
“I have a God who never fails, Who will never fail forevermore,” Adeleke said.
The election result means Adeleke will remain in office for another term after defeating an APC candidate who had received substantial backing from the Party’s national leadership.
The reported roadside reaction in Osogbo added a dramatic dimension to the aftermath of the election. While the chants captured in the video reflected the mood of some residents along the route, they should not be interpreted as representing the views of all Osun residents.
The video also did not establish the identities of every person inside the vehicles or independently confirm which APC officials were travelling in the convoy.
Nevertheless, the episode underscored the intense emotions generated by the election and the sharp political rivalry between the two leading camps.
For the APC, the defeat will likely trigger renewed discussions about its campaign strategy, candidate selection and grassroots organisation in Osun.
The Party had entered the election seeking to wrest power from Adeleke and had deployed several prominent figures to the State in support of Oyebamiji.
For Adeleke and his supporters, the result provides a strong political endorsement of their campaign and gives the Governor another opportunity to pursue his development agenda.
As attention now shifts away from the voting and collation process, both parties are expected to assess the outcome and its implications for the future of Osun politics.
The result also sets the stage for a new phase in the State’s political landscape, with Adeleke beginning preparations for another term while the APC faces the task of rebuilding and determining how best to challenge the incumbent administration in the years ahead.
The Osun election has therefore ended with Adeleke retaining power, but the political contest between the Accord Party and APC is unlikely to disappear. Instead, Sunday’s events could mark the beginning of another chapter in the State’s increasingly competitive political history.