All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the August 15 Osun State election, Bola Oyebamiji, has said he respects the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his defeat by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Oyebamiji made the statement in a message posted on his X account on Tuesday, three days after the governorship election. The APC candidate also expressed support for the party’s ongoing review of the election outcome.

Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, was declared the winner after securing 511,067 votes. Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes in the election. Reacting to the result, Oyebamiji thanked APC supporters and party leaders across Osun for their commitment throughout the campaign. He also expressed appreciation to voters and others who supported what he described as an alternative vision for the state.

“Although, we had hoped for a different outcome in the election, in the meantime, we respect the position of the electoral umpire and I totally support the decision of our party in its ongoing review of the outcome of the election,” he said.

Oyebamiji said his acceptance of the election outcome did not signal an end to the issues and objectives promoted during his campaign.

“The campaign has come to an end and the election is over, but the values and causes we championed are alive. We would continue to work for effective, inclusive and rapid development of our dear Osun,” he said.

The APC candidate further urged his supporters to remain peaceful and continue engaging with their communities in the interest of the state. However, Oyebamiji raised concerns over alleged attacks against APC members and supporters following the election. He called on the state government and security agencies to address what he described as increasing hostility towards party members.

“At the same time, I wish to alert the State Government and security agents to the growing trend of hostility and violence against our members and supporters,” Oyebamiji said.

He alleged that attacks reported before the election had “taken another dimension in the last 24 hours” and appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intervene.

Oyebamiji nevertheless urged his supporters to remain calm while carrying out their activities and thanked voters, volunteers, party members and leaders for their support. He said he remained “proud of the campaign we ran” and expressed gratitude to those who supported his candidacy. His statement places emphasis on peaceful political engagement while the APC continues its review of the Osun election outcome.