APC Lost Osun Due To Interference By Abuja Politicians — Gov Sule

APC Lost Osun Due To Interference By Abuja Politicians — Gov Sule

 Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has blamed interference by “Abuja politicians” as a key factor in the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeat in the August 2026 Osun State governorship election, while also highlighting the formidable power of incumbency.

Sule made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in Lafia while presenting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acknowledgement slips to APC gubernatorial and State House of Assembly candidates in Nasarawa. He argued that the ruling party would not have lost the South-West state but for external meddling from the federal capital.

“APC lost partly because of the Abuja politicians, you know, because if not for some of these Abuja politicians, there was no way for APC to lose in Osun,” Sule said. He linked the outcome directly to the influence of a sitting governor, referring to incumbent Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party. “What it means is that the power of a sitting governor is not something you can joke around with. That’s the message that was sent, actually, in Osun.”

Sule criticised those celebrating the APC’s loss, saying they misunderstood its significance. “So, for people who are celebrating, they don’t even understand what the hell they are celebrating. What they are celebrating is that the power of a sitting governor in Osun is what has stopped them from winning.”

He drew a parallel to his own state, warning that Nasarawa has “one hell of a sitting governor,” an apparent reference to himself ahead of future contests. He also praised President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office.

The Osun governorship election, held on August 15, 2026, saw Adeleke secure re-election with 511,067 votes against APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes, a margin of 66,252.

Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) placed a distant third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji took 11. Of about 2.34 million registered voters, roughly 1.01 million were accredited, with valid votes totaling around 985,000.

Adeleke, who previously won the seat in 2022 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner before switching to Accord, leveraged incumbency, grassroots networks, and perceptions of performance. The contest was viewed as a significant test for the APC in President Tinubu’s South-West political base.