The African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship candidate, Mr Dare Bejide, has rejected the Ekiti State election result.

Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide described the election as lacking credibility.

He alleged that the exercise was conducted in “an atmosphere replica of a war zone”.

The ADC candidate accused the ruling party of engaging in vote buying through money and food distribution.

Bejide said the government should have relied on its achievements rather than struggling to influence voters.

“My immediate reaction is to reject the result in its entirety because the exercise was not credible,” he said.

He claimed some polling units, including his, witnessed a tense atmosphere during the election.

“You all witnessed what happened. Some places were almost like a war zone,” Bejide added.

He alleged that political appointees and a serving senator brought thugs and security personnel.

“In some places, it appeared the election was taking place only in my polling unit. It is a sad day for democracy,” the ADC candidate stated.

Bejide further alleged that vote buying was carried out openly at several polling units.

“Bags of money were brought to polling units, and enormous sums were spent,” he claimed. He said such actions reflected poor performance by the government.

“If they had performed well, there would have been no need to rely on money,” Bejide said.

The ADC candidate said he was still studying the election outcome before deciding his next move.

“I have not personally seen the full results; I have only heard reports on social media,” he said.

He added that his team was collating available polling unit results.

“Once we receive and analyse everything, we will brief our party members,” Bejide stated.

He said the party would decide on the appropriate course of action afterwards.

“At this stage, we are certainly not satisfied with the conduct of the election,” he said.

Bejide urged his supporters and Ekiti residents to remain peaceful and calm. “We are carefully studying the results and will know the appropriate steps to take,” he added. 

The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of “growing anxiety” over the political influence of its candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The party asserted that Ogun residents are ready for a new direction and that no amount of propaganda can “stop the winds of change already blowing across the state.”

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Ogun PDP Youth Leader, Comrade Lukman Ejalonibu.

Ejalonibu insisted that the recent comments by the Special Assistant on Youth Development to Ogun State Governor, Comrade Olamide Lawal, about Adebutu exposed contradictions in the ruling party’s position.

Recall that Olamide Lawal, while speaking on a television programme, said Adebutu is not a threat to the APC and lacks the political strength and performance record required to challenge the ruling party in the state.

Lawal also noted that the state’s prevailing zoning considerations diminish any prospect of Adebutu succeeding Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Responding, the PDP youth leader argued that the APC’s focus on Adebutu confirms his “growing popularity, acceptance and connection with the people of Ogun State.”

He said, “It is both amusing and contradictory that the same APC which claims Adebutu is ‘not a threat’ continues to devote so much time and energy to discussing him. No political party spends valuable airtime attacking an opponent it considers irrelevant.”

Ejalonibu also faulted attempts to downplay Adebutu’s record as a former member of the House of Representatives, citing his constituency interventions, educational support programmes, youth empowerment and community projects.

He described Adebutu as “an authentic son of Ogun State whose roots, commitment and contributions to the state are well known,” adding that his relationship with the people predates his electoral ambitions.

He asserted that the PDP’s focus remains on providing credible alternatives and mobilising the people around responsible, inclusive and people-centred governance.

The PDP Youth Leader also criticised the APC for “hiding behind zoning arguments” instead of engaging in debates on governance, unemployment, infrastructure and economic hardship.

“Democracy is a contest of ideas, competence and public trust, not excuses created out of fear. If Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu truly poses no threat to the APC, there would be no reason for the ruling party and its spokespersons to make him the centrepiece of their political conversations,” Ejalonibu added.

The Osun State chapter of the Action Peoples Party (APP) has called on security agencies in the state to ensure full compliance with a recent Federal High Court judgment concerning the local government crisis.

The party, in a statement by its chairman, Odesola Titus, on Sunday, also insisted that the ruling affirmed the authority of the legally elected council officials.

Odesola said the court, sitting in Osogbo, had declared the continued occupation of council offices by the APC chairmen and councillors unconstitutional.

The party, however, noted that the judgment did not invalidate the local government election conducted on February 22, 2025.

“We serve this notice to all security agencies operating within Osun State concerning the recent judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Osogbo. The court has unequivocally declared the continuance of the Yes or No (APC) chairmen and councillors as unconstitutional,” he said.

The party stressed that the judgment underscored the need to recognise and protect the authority of the legally elected chairmen and councillors and warned against any form of illegal interference with their mandates.

“In light of this ruling, we urge all relevant security agencies to take immediate action to ensure compliance with this judgment. It is crucial to safeguard peace, law and order within our communities and to protect the mandate of those who have been duly elected by the citizens of Osun State,” he said.

The APP also called on security agencies to remain committed to preserving democratic values and maintaining stability across the state’s local government areas in line with the court’s pronouncement.

The party expressed appreciation for the cooperation of security agencies and their commitment to upholding the rule of law, adding that it expected the democratic process in Osun State to be respected and maintained.

The appeal is coming after Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, vowed that the local government council officials elected under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on February 22, 2025, will resume office on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The state government had conducted council polls on February 22, 2025, across the state, which were won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates.

Governor Ademola Adeleke had also, on February 23, 2025, sworn in the elected officials and urged them not to resume at the council secretariats in order to avoid violence.

However, the elected officials under the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose tenure expired on October 22, 2025, had approached the Federal High Court, Osogbo, seeking tenure elongation.

The court, in a judgment delivered on Monday, June 15, 2026, dismissed the application seeking tenure elongation for the chairmen and ruled that they lacked the legal standing to institute the suit.