Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has attributed part of the All Progressives Congress’ defeat in the Osun governorship election to the intervention of politicians from Abuja.

Sule spoke on Tuesday during a press briefing in Lafia, where he assessed the factors behind the APC’s loss and the political advantage enjoyed by incumbent governors.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the August 15 governorship election.

Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.

The incumbent governor won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in the remaining 11.

The APC rejected the election result, while President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke following the announcement of the outcome.

Speaking at the briefing, Sule said the APC could have secured victory if some politicians from Abuja had not travelled to Osun shortly before the election.

He, however, cautioned against interpreting the defeat as a rejection of President Tinubu or his administration.

Sule maintained that Tinubu had performed well, but said the election outcome was heavily influenced by the advantage enjoyed by Adeleke as the sitting governor.

According to him, incumbency gives sitting governors significant political leverage during elections, making it difficult for opposition candidates to unseat them at the polls.

Sule said the Osun result should therefore be viewed within the broader context of the influence of incumbency in state politics, rather than as a verdict on the Tinubu administration.

He also questioned the celebration of the APC’s defeat, arguing that the result highlighted the challenges opposition parties face when attempting to defeat an incumbent governor. (AriseNews TV)

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