The All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat continues to remain mum over its loss of one of its strongholds in the South-West state of Osun, even as its candidate in last Saturday’s election, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, appealed to his supporters to remain calm.
Efforts by reporters to get comments from the spokesperson of the party has met with silence.
Oyetola lost the election to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
Governor Oyetola said this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, on Sunday, in Osogbo, the state capital.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had taken cognisance of the results of the governorship election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.
The governor, however, noted that the party would be responding appropriately after studying the results and consulting with critical stakeholders of the party.
He called on his supporters to remain calm, and the people of the state to go about their businesses without let or hindrance.
The governor also called on security operatives to ensure maintenance of law and order.
In a widely publicised reaction, the governor added, “I am calling on our supporters to remain calm, and the people of the State to go about their businesses without let or hindrance.
“I also urge security operatives to ensure maintenance of law and order, to prevent break down of law and order.’’
Recall that hours after PDP’s Adeleke was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on television feigned ignorance of the result, insisting he had not been formally briefed.
A week earlier, he was upbeat giving marching orders to the the campaign council for the election to deliver victory because he had zero tolerance for failure.
His words: “We are going there to win by the grace of God.
“That plan to win, the ability to execute the plan is with the leadership that this council is going to provide in the campaign efforts.
“I urge you to leave no stone unturned. I urge you to go there and do whatever is doable within the laws of Nigeria and our electoral laws to win.
“My tolerance level and this national working committee’s level for failure is really really zero.
“Most of you have been statesmen in your own right, the offices you held before today, but for this exercise take off the big guns take off the creepy suits wear and go down the trench and bring that victory we want.
“Nobody should come back to us crying, failure is not our own by the grace of God.
“Whatever it takes within the laws of the land, i said go for it, win the election.
“Let them go complain let them go wherever, let’s win the election, we have no apologies whatsoever for this posture because these two elections are for test to the national election coming up in 2003.
“It will go in our credentials that we have the winning track record this National Working Committee that you elected we have a commitment.
“What we mean by the commitment is the 2023 general election is facing us. We have to face it squarely.
“There’s no option to winning the national election and these state elections are, like I said, forebears to the national election.
“We must show those who love us by showing those who are our adversaries, in the strongest possible way, that we are in control.”