By Peace Udugba
The National Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dipo Olayoku, has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 Osun State governorship election as a reflection of the will of the people, while raising concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
Olayoku spoke on Monday during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, where he reviewed the outcome of the election.
Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), polling 511,067 votes.
He defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Olayoku commended the relatively quick announcement of the result, noting that Adeleke was declared winner about 15 hours and 30 minutes after voting ended.
“All is well that ends well. I think it went well because at least the winner was announced within, let’s just say, about 15 hours and 30 minutes,” he said.
According to him, reports received from NNPP members across the state suggested that the result reflected the preference of many voters, partly because of Adeleke’s relationship with residents during his first term.
However, Olayoku stressed that the outcome should not be taken as proof that the election was completely free of challenges.
“We commend the people of Osun, but that does not mean that the election didn’t have its own loopholes,” he said.
He raised concerns over alleged intimidation, political interference, vote-buying and other controversies surrounding the poll, arguing that the outcome of an election alone should not determine whether the electoral process was credible.
Olayoku also questioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) decision to freeze an account belonging to the Osun State Government shortly before the election over concerns about possible vote-buying.
The account was later ordered unfrozen by President Bola Tinubu, who described the timing of the EFCC action as embarrassing.
The NNPP national secretary questioned the rationale behind the intervention and argued that measures against vote-buying should be applied consistently to all political actors.
He also raised concerns over the handling of local government funds in Osun State, alleging that funds meant for local governments had been withheld for about 15 months.
“Do you know that in Osun today, the local government funds have been seized by the Federal Government for the past fifteen months?” he asked.
Olayoku further questioned the continued stay in office of some local government chairmen despite court decisions concerning their tenure.
He alleged that members and supporters of the Accord Party were intimidated during the build-up to the election and cited an alleged threat against party members in Ilesa.
According to him, the issues raised made it difficult to describe the election as entirely free, fair and credible.
“So with all that has happened, nobody will agree that the election was free, fair and credible,” he said.
Despite his reservations, Olayoku said the election demonstrated the determination of Osun voters to exercise their political choice.
“The people of Osun have shown that they have their will and their conviction, and nobody can change their will,” he said.
He urged political institutions and electoral authorities to address identified weaknesses in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
