The All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji came second with a total vote count of 444,815 while Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

However, Sani noted that the opposition wants Adeleke to be confrontational.

Posting on X, Sani wrote: “Most members of the opposition are not happy with Governor Adeleke for ‘thanking’ President Tinubu for his electoral victory. They want the Governor to be confrontational.

“If the President had not been helpful in securing his mandate and preventing any attempt to tamper with it, the governor wouldn’t have been so appreciative.

“Electoral victory is a product of two components, winning the votes and securing the collation and victory of the vote. There are many politicians today who lost elections because of the latter.”

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.