The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the declaration of Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the Osun State governorship election, saying its preliminary assessment indicated that he did not secure the highest number of valid votes cast.

The party’s Director-General of the APC Governorship Campaign Council in Osun State, Oluwole Oke, disclosed this while commenting on the election outcome during an appearance on Arise TV on Monday night.

APC Begins Review Of Election Result

Oke said the APC had commenced a comprehensive audit of the election and directed its agents across the state to submit copies of Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C for scrutiny.

He explained that the party would examine the electoral records and inspect relevant materials before determining its next course of action.

“We do not agree with the declaration of INEC. That’s our position for now. We believe he did not score the highest valid votes,” Oke said.

The APC campaign chief stressed that the party would not rush into taking further action until it had reviewed the records and established the facts surrounding the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

What The APC Says It Is Checking

According to Oke, the review would require a detailed examination of documents from polling units, wards and local government collation centres.

He said the party had instructed its agents to submit copies of the relevant electoral forms to its secretariat for assessment.

“When you have a project of this nature with the outcome announced by INEC, we will not be in a haste, nor shall we be under pressure without doing the needful,” he said.

Oke added that the APC needed to evaluate the process, obtain the records and review the materials before forming an opinion.

“We have embarked on an audit process. We have asked all our party agents to submit copies of Forms EC8A, B, and C to our secretariat for review. We need to inspect the materials,” he said.

INEC Declaration And APC’s Position

INEC’s declaration of Adeleke as the winner remains the official result described in the material provided.

The APC, however, says it does not accept the declaration at this stage and believes its review of the electoral records could provide a different assessment of the valid votes.

Oke said the party’s findings from the audit would determine its final position, which would subsequently be made public.

The party has therefore not, in the material provided, announced a specific legal action against the result.

Review Extends Beyond Election Day

Oke also disclosed that the APC was examining issues that preceded the election, suggesting that its review would not be limited to the votes cast on election day.

He said the party would assess the conduct of the election against the provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws before determining whether further action was necessary.

“There are a lot of issues before us. There are a lot of issues for determination, even on a pre-election basis,” he said.

He added that the party would examine the records and processes established under the Electoral Act and relevant statutes before deciding how to proceed.

“Until we do that and form our opinion, we won’t be able to go further to say anything on this,” Oke said.

APC Dismisses Division As Major Factor

Oke also rejected suggestions that internal disagreements within the APC significantly contributed to the party’s performance in the election.

He argued that disagreements were common within political parties and did not necessarily prevent members from working together during elections.

The APC campaign chief cited the Accord Party as an example, claiming that its chairman publicly endorsed the APC candidate despite disagreements within the party.

“If you are talking about internal divisions, even the Accord Party itself is divided. The chairman of the Accord Party endorsed our candidate openly in public,” Oke said.

He maintained that disputes and misunderstandings could occur within political parties while members still closed ranks during elections.

What Happens Next?

The APC’s immediate next step is to complete its review of the electoral records and other materials.

The party says the findings will determine its final position on the Osun governorship election.

For now, the APC has rejected INEC’s declaration but has stopped short, based on the material provided, of announcing what further action it will take.

Key Takeaways

• INEC declared Ademola Adeleke the winner of the Osun governorship election.
• The APC says it does not agree with the declaration.
• The party claims its preliminary assessment indicates Adeleke did not secure the highest valid votes.
• APC agents have been directed to submit Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C for review.
• The party says it will examine both election-day records and issues arising before the election.
• The APC says its audit will determine its final position and any possible next step.