Osun Election: ‘INEC Performance Is Not To Be Applauded’ – Okonkwo

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its conduct of last weekend’s Osun State governorship election.

Okonkwo, who appeared on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, questioned the electoral body over the suspension of result uploads on its INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

While acknowledging the outcome of the election, which saw Governor Ademola Adeleke secure another four-year term, Okonkwo said, “I am not congratulating INEC whatsoever for what happened in Osun State.”

He expressed concern over the suspension of result uploads, saying, “By 8 p.m., they suspended the uploading of results on IReV, and nobody has come out to tell us why, and they must come out to tell us why. So there is still apprehension, and I’m telling you that the performance of INEC is not to be applauded. It is to be questioned. Why did they suspend the uploading of the results by 8 p.m.? And then the people of Osun had to fight. They had to go to collation centres,” Okonkwo said.

He also urged opposition parties to strengthen their preparations ahead of the 2027 general election, maintaining that Nigeria’s electoral process is “not there yet”.

Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner of Saturday’s election after polling 511,067 votes. His closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 444,815 votes, while the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.

Despite the party’s third-place finish, Okonkwo, who is also the spokesperson to the ADC presidential candidate, described its performance as commendable.

“Our performance was very commendable because we didn’t have the state apparatus in the state. We didn’t have the Federal Government apparatus. And as you can see, the state government, through Honourable Salam, you can see all the things they passed through, even with the apparatus of state.

“Then you can imagine ADC, which didn’t have any apparatus of state, whether state or federal. But at least we are happy that the opposition has proved a point,” Okonkwo said.

He also commended the people of Osun for resisting what he described as “intimidation” and “manipulation” before, during and after the election.

“Well, first of all, let me congratulate the Osun people for this wonderful victory. It was very decisive. Let me also extend my congratulations to Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party.”

“You know, the Osun people refused to succumb to the blackmail, intimidation, manipulation, political banditry, and political hegemony that the Aso Rock landlord wanted to foist on them, and they came out with a decisive victory. If you recall, Osun people were arrested, they were jailed, they were injured, and they were killed. But they resisted. They did not succumb to all that banditry.”

According to Okonkwo, the election result demonstrated “that the power of the people will always be greater than the people in power”.

“Of course, according to Atiku Abubakar, this is a forerunner of what 2027 is going to be like. And he also said another important lesson is that this is a manifestation of how the resolve of the people to stand and defend their votes will always lead to an end to rigging, buying, and other electoral malpractice,” Okonkwo said.