Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election in Osun State, saying the outcome of the poll should serve as a wake-up call for the All Progressives Congress (APC), rather than a setback for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Kalu said Tinubu’s political prospects in Osun remained strong ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the APC could turn the defeat into an opportunity to reconnect with voters and rebuild its grassroots structures.

In a statement issued by his media office on Sunday, Kalu acknowledged the disappointment among APC members following the loss but urged the party to focus on the bigger political picture.

“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,” he said.

Rather than dismissing the result, Kalu said the party should study the factors that shaped the election and use the lessons to strengthen its organisation ahead of 2027.

“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.

The former governor also praised the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, Gboyega Oyetola, for his contributions to the state, while calling on APC members to remain united.

Kalu argued that the Osun election did not necessarily translate into a rejection of Tinubu, stressing that presidential elections involve wider political calculations and alliances.

He said the President could attract support from political actors and voters beyond the APC, including stakeholders associated with opposition platforms such as 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.

Adeleke was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election after polling 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

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

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

Declaring the result at about 7:24 a.m. on Sunday, the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, said Adeleke had satisfied the requirements of the law and was therefore returned elected.

The election recorded 1,010,684 accredited voters and 1,005,800 votes cast, with 985,079 votes declared valid and 20,721 rejected.

Kalu urged APC leaders to resist the temptation to become discouraged by the defeat, saying the party still had time to rebuild its structures and strengthen its relationship with Osun voters before the 2027 elections.

He also called on all political actors to accept the outcome and continue working to deepen democracy, national unity and development.

With the 2027 contest already taking shape, Kalu said the APC’s ability to learn from Osun, reconnect with voters and broaden its political alliances would be crucial to its prospects in the next general election.