Osun: Nigerians have paid APC in advance, balance due in 2027 — PDP

By Luminous Jannamike The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election as an ‘advance payment’ by Nigerians against the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, declaring that the balance would come in the 2027 general elections. The party said Osun result was a warning that Nigerians could still resist political pressure and defend their votes, but cautioned that the battle for the integrity of the ballot would become even more important as the 2027 elections approach. The position was contained in two separate statements signed by the party’s Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong, and National Publicity Secretary, Hon.

While Ememobong focused on the wider political implications of the election and alleged institutional interference, Jungudo congratulated Adeleke and urged political actors to put the interests of Osun above partisan considerations. “Overall, the result from Osun is an advance payment by Nigerians against the APC, the balance will come in 2027,” Ememobong said. He alleged that the APC deployed its political machinery to Osun in a bid to secure victory, citing alleged intimidation, assaults and arrests involving opposition politicians.

The PDP spokesman also referenced a controversial statement attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, his subsequent invitation by the police and release, alleging that the episode reflected the pressure placed on opposition figures during the election. “The ruling party that is ruining the country mobilized their entire rigging machinery to Osun, with nothing left to chance, boasting that they will repeat the Edo experience,” he said. Ememobong, however, said the people of Osun resisted the alleged machinations and ensured that the ballot prevailed.

He accused security agencies, particularly the police, of partiality and faulted the freezing of the state government’s accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as well as what he described as a delay of more than two hours in uploading results from 470 polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. “The manifest partiality of security agencies, especially the police, and even the shameful intervention by the EFCC freezing the accounts of the state; and the intentional delay (more than two hours) i…