He noted that the Court of Appeal judgment clearing Ajala came barely a day before the poll, which put him at a disadvantage during the just-concluded Osun State election.

According to him, the party’s abysmal performance in Osun does not indicate that it lacks a support base.

Gombe further said that one of the lessons learned from the Osun poll is that there is no small party, adding that it is a warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He added that, just like Osun people, Nigerian voters have a significant role to play in rescuing the country from the hands of the APC.

“SDP’s abysmal performance. It is as though SDP did not participate because until last Wednesday, SDP was not on the ballot.

“What happened in Osun is not the true strength of our support. Voters thought we would not participate.

“Outcome of Osun election is a warning signal to the ruling party. We call on INEC to replicate what happened in Osun in 2027 to boost the confidence of Nigerians and the international community of nations,” he said.

DAILY POST reports that Adeleke was declared the winner of the Osun State governorship election, defeating his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the APC.

Recall that the Court of Appeal set aside a Federal High Court ruling recognising Shehu Gabam, which cleared the way for the SDP candidate in Osun.

INEC’s Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Dayo Oketola, made this known on Monday during an interview with Arise News.

Oketola also warned Nigerians against believing unverified videos and information shared on social media after the election.

He explained that voters had to be registered and accredited at their assigned polling units before they could vote.

“We are in an age of AI, misinformation, and disinformation. Not everything you see is true. With BVAS in play for any election in Nigeria, there is no room for ghost voters or hired voters,” he said.

He added, “You cannot vote in an election unless you have been registered and accredited for that specific polling unit. Be careful what you believe, particularly in an election driven by information management and mismanagement.”

According to Oketola, voter turnout stood at 50.116 per cent, making it one of the highest recorded in recent off-cycle elections.

He said better preparation and improved logistics contributed to the turnout, while also encouraging more people to take part in elections.

Oketola described the peaceful conclusion of the election as a sign of growing democratic maturity in Nigeria, despite the tension recorded before the poll.

Governor Ademola Adeleke won the election with 511,067 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.

IPAC said political parties were independent and had the right to decide whether to participate in an election.

Speaking to journalists, IPAC chairman in Bauchi, Auwal Isa, said, “out of the 22 parties that registered for the election, 16 are participating; that means only six are boycotting. It is their right to do so.”

Isa, who is also the Bauchi State Chairman of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), praised the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) for following due process in organising the election.

He also commended voters for coming out to choose their preferred candidates, describing this as an important part of democracy.

The IPAC chairman further praised the political parties that took part in the election, saying their participation showed confidence in the democratic process.

The Secretary of IPAC, Khalid Hassan Arewa, also said the council was satisfied with the conduct of the election.

“As far as we are concerned, we are satisfied with the conduct of the elections. It was done following due process by BASIEC,” Arewa said.

He added, “The election timetable was released, and an announcement for form purchase was made. My party bought the forms and participated in the election.”

Arewa explained that under the relevant electoral laws, an election could proceed where at least three registered political parties were participating.

He said IPAC was satisfied with BASIEC’s handling of the election and expressed confidence that some of the participating parties would win seats in their strongholds across Bauchi State.