Osun 2026: Shehu Sani Throws Jibe at ADC "Have Never Won a Single By-Election"
- Senator Shehu Sani called out the ADC on Sunday, August 16, 2026, after the Osun governorship election results
- Sani pointed to the ADC's absence from Osun as part of a pattern he said has defined the party across multiple elections
- The senator's post drew hundreds of comments as Nigerians weighed in on the outcome of the Osun election
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Former Kaduna senator Shehu Sani has publicly criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for failing to support its own candidate in the Osun governorship election.
The APC chieftain described the ADC's conduct as part of a long-standing pattern of neglect toward its own standard-bearers.
Source: Facebook
He contrasted the ADC's approach with that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said deployed its top leadership to campaign in the state, even though the ruling party ultimately lost.
Sani made the remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday, August 16, 2026, hours after results emerged from the Osun election.
Osun election: Sani's verdict on ADC
"ADC left their National Secretary and former two-term Governor in Osun to struggle alone, and finished a distant third."
Sani added that the same attitude played out in the Edo, Anambra, Ondo, and Ekiti elections, and that the party "have never won a single by-election since their emergence."
The senator also accused the ADC of seeking to benefit from the victory of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke without acknowledging their own candidate's poor showing.
"The ADC want to latch on to Adeleke's victory and doesn't want to talk about their candidate in Osun."
Sani closed with a pointed observation about political credibility:
"If you are in politics, you will not have problems in knowing who is serious and who is not."
Nigerians react to Osun outcome
The post attracted significant engagement, drawing over 1,900 likes and hundreds of comments as Nigerians debated what the Osun result means for the country's political landscape.
Godfrey Adah responded:
"They're submitting a petition in the EU and the US already. That's where they will win their election from."
Sheriff Olawale offered a different reading: "We vote for performance and capacity now, not Party."
Adaamu Sharu Charter Baburaa suggested the ADC and Accord may have worked together informally, writing:
"ADC and Accord have formed a silent alliance...they knew dt they couldn't win, but they did all dey could to stop Apc from emerging."
Abdulhamid Saidu Bunu pushed back on the conclusion that ADC is finished, comparing their current situation to the APC before 2015:
"ADC, despite not winning any of the bye elections, can still win the general election, especially looking at the situation of the country at the moment."
Aliyu Abubakar highlighted the margin of popular sentiment behind Adeleke's win:
"16 APC governors and the Senate President were present in Osun State on Election Day. They had the power and the money, but Adeleke and Davido had the people."
Noor Farouk pointed to the absence of the Peoples Democratic Party as the bigger lesson from the election:
"The best lesson to learn from the Osun election isn't the victory of the incumbent governor or the loss of the national ruling party (APC). But the absence of the former Almighty PDP in the election."
Osun election: Nigerians react as INEC declares winner
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that INEC's returning officer declared Accord candidate Ademola Adeleke the winner of the Osun State governorship election.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes against APC's Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes in the keenly contested poll.
Nigerians took to social media to share strong reactions to the result, with many linking the outcome to the 2027 general elections.
Source: Legit.ng
