The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the Osun State election, Bola Oyebamiji, has said he respects the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission following his defeat by the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.

He, however, did not congratulate the winner of the poll, declaring total support for his party’s ongoing review of the outcome of the August 15 poll.

Oyebamiji stated this in a message posted on his X account on Tuesday, three days after the August 15 governorship election.

Adeleke, the candidate of the Accord Party, was declared the winner after polling 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

Reacting to the outcome, Oyebamiji commended APC supporters and party leaders across the state for their commitment to his campaign, saying he remained grateful to those who believed in the alternative vision presented to voters.

“Although, we had hoped for a different outcome in the election, in the meantime, we respect the position of the electoral umpire and I totally support the decision of our party in its ongoing review of the outcome of the election,” he said.

Oyebamiji said the end of the campaign did not mean the end of the issues and values for which his campaign stood.

“The campaign has come to an end and the election is over, but the values and causes we championed are alive. We would continue to work for effective, inclusive and rapid development of our dear Osun,” he said.

The APC candidate also urged his supporters to remain peaceful and engaged in their communities, while asking them to continue working for the collective interest of the state.

He, however, raised concerns over alleged attacks on APC members and supporters, saying the situation had worsened in the aftermath of the election.

“At the same time, I wish to alert the State Government and security agents to the growing trend of hostility and violence against our members and supporters,” Oyebamiji said.

He alleged that attacks on APC supporters recorded before the election had “taken another dimension in the last 24 hours.”

Oyebamiji consequently called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intervene, urging his supporters to remain calm as they go about their activities.

He thanked voters, volunteers, party members and leaders who supported his candidacy, saying he remained “proud of the campaign we ran” and grateful for their confidence.

In contrast to Oyebamiji’s opinion, the Director-General of the APC governorship campaign in the state, Wole Oke, said the party did not agree with INEC’s election results and declaration, saying the review would determine its next step.

He said the party would not be pressured into congratulating Governor Adeleke over his victory.

Oke stated this in an interview monitored on Monday, saying the position of President Bola Tinubu, who had congratulated Adeleke following the declaration of the result by INEC was different from that of the party’s campaign team, which was “on the ground” and assessing the process.

“And like I’ve told you that what we are doing, even for future, for records, is to conduct a thorough review of the entire process and then form our opinion.

“We won’t be under any sort of pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke,” Oke said.

He added, “We do not agree with the declaration of INEC. That’s our position for now. We believe he did not score the highest valid votes.”

Following the declaration, Adeleke has said he expected Oyebamiji to call and congratulate him, describing it as the “civilised thing to do.”

However, Oke said the APC campaign team was more concerned with reviewing the electoral process before making any decision.

“When you have a project of this nature with the outcome announced by INEC, we will not be in a haste, nor shall we be under pressure without doing the needful,” he said.

According to him, the party had commenced an audit of the election and directed its agents to submit relevant result sheets for scrutiny.

“We have embarked on an audit process. We have asked all our party agents to submit copies of Forms EC8A, B, and C to our secretariat for review. We need to inspect the materials,” Oke said.

Meanwhile, the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said the APC was still studying the results from all 332 wards.

The party said an election was “a process that continues through the tribunal, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court,” adding that it would consult its lawyers and explore all legal options available under the Electoral Act if irregularities were discovered.

Oke said the party would also examine issues arising from the pre-election period and the conduct of the election against provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.

“Until we do that and form our opinion, we won’t be able to go further to say anything on this,” he said.

The APC campaign DG also criticised the Adeleke administration, questioning its record in education, healthcare and support for farmers in the state.

He said, “When you look at this in totality, you can see the failures of government glaring in the citizens’ faces.”

Oke urged the public to give the party time to complete its assessment of the election before it announces its next course of action.