Osun: Wike speaks on opposition stance to electoral process, outcome

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reacted to the outcome of the August 2026 Osun State governorship election.

Governor Ademola Adeleke, the incumbent governor, won the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election and was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, August 16.

He contested on the Accord Party platform and polled 511,067 votes.

His closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 444,815 votes, giving Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.

Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke reportedly won 19 of the state’s 30 LGAs, while Oyebamiji won 11.

Reacting to the outcome while speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, Wike criticized opposition politicians for their double standards, stating that the Federal Government is always accused whenever they lose an election.

According to Wike, President Bola Tinubu-led government should be commended for allowing processes to run their own course without interference.

He said, “When they lose, they claim the government manipulated the process; when they win, they show off their might. It does not work that way.

“From what I have seen, this government allows processes to run their own way, and they must be given credit for that.”

The minister argued that unseating an incumbent requires a strong, vibrant opposition built over years, not one still searching for direction.

“To remove a government, you need a strong, vibrant opposition that has spent over four years planning, not one that is constantly looking for a party to join,” he said.

He singled out ADC leaders for internal divisions and weak showings in recent governorship polls, arguing that the coordinated support of the G5 governors that shaped the 2023 race would not be replicated nationally in 2027.

“Governorship elections rely on local variables, but a national election is a completely different ballgame. If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forget it. It is over,” he said.

On economic discontent, Wike urged Nigerians to judge leadership by concrete actions rather than sentiments.

“Leadership is defined by the steps you take to solve problems. When someone identifies a problem and takes concrete action to fix it, that is the effort people should appreciate,” he said.