Oyebamiji and Adeleke
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has attributed the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) defeat in the August 15 Osun State governorship election to what he described as the intervention of Abuja-based politicians in the party’s campaign.
Sule also said the outcome highlighted the significant advantage enjoyed by an incumbent governor in a governorship election.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during a press briefing in Lafia while reflecting on the outcome of the closely contested election.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as well as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, and 13 other candidates.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes, while Salaam came third with 17,180 votes. The incumbent governor won in 19 of the 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured the remaining 11.
The APC has rejected the outcome of the election and questioned aspects of the electoral process. However, Adeleke’s victory has continued to generate political reactions, with President Bola Tinubu congratulating him shortly after the election.
Speaking on the APC’s defeat, Sule said the party’s chances were undermined by the intervention of some politicians from Abuja shortly before the election. He said the party would not have lost the election if not for the activities of the Abuja politicians.
Sule said the election demonstrated the influence and political advantage of a sitting governor, adding that those celebrating the APC’s defeat might not fully understand the role played by the incumbent administration’s political structure in the outcome.
The Nasarawa governor maintained that the APC’s loss should not be interpreted as a rejection of the performance of the Tinubu administration at the federal level. He instead attributed the outcome largely to the political dynamics surrounding the governorship contest and the influence of the incumbent administration in Osun State.