A former Speaker of the Osun State Assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam, on Monday emerged as the African Democratic Congress candidate for the 2026 Osun governorship election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Salaam secured the ADC ticket following the party’s primary held at the Ultimate Civic Centre in Osogbo.
Addressing party delegates before the exercise, the Chairman of the ADC 2026 Primary Election Committee, Mr Emeka Nwajiuba, said Salaam was the sole aspirant for the office.
“The list and information from the ADC Organizing Secretary’s Office, as well as the screening exercise conducted, indicate that Salaam is the only aspirant vying for the party’s ticket,” he said.
The 528 ADC delegates from across the 332 wards of the state then lined up to cast their votes.
Announcing the results, Nwajiuba said a total of 528 votes were cast, of which 520 were valid votes for Najeem Salaam while eight were voided.
“By the power conferred on this panel by the constitution of the ADC, I, Emeka Nwajiuba, Chairman of the panel, announce the candidate-elect and flag bearer of our party for the Osun governorship election 2026: Najeem Salaam,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, Salaam thanked members and leadership of the ADC for their confidence and the mandate entrusted to him.
“I accept this mandate as the gubernatorial candidate of the ADC with a deep sense of responsibility.
“I accept it with hope because our people still believe. I accept it with prayer because the challenges ahead are real,” he said.
The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Yahaya Usman, have taken legal action to challenge the outcome of the chairmanship election held in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Daily voice reports that the election took place on February 21, 2026, across 10 wards and 338 polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner after he secured 22,165 votes, while Usman polled 17,788 votes.
Not satisfied with the result, the APC and its candidate filed a petition before the election tribunal.
The case, marked FCT/ACEPT/EP/02/2026, seeks to overturn the declaration of the PDP candidate.
In the petition, the party and its candidate claimed that the election did not follow the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
They also alleged the presence of corrupt practices and argued that the declared winner did not obtain the highest number of valid votes.
They stated that several irregularities occurred during the election process.
According to them, results in at least six polling units across Kutunku, Ibwa, Tungan Maje, and Ikwa wards were altered. They claimed figures were changed to match the number of accredited voters and to hide cases of over-voting.
The petition also reported cases where entries on result sheets were tampered with.
It stated that cancellations and changes were made in some polling units, raising concerns about the credibility of the figures recorded.
In addition, the APC alleged that in two polling units, votes recorded for its candidate were reduced during the collation process.
The party further claimed that more than 100 polling units were affected by failure to follow electoral rules.
It also pointed to eight polling units where officials allegedly changed figures by erasing and rewriting results on official documents.
Another issue raised in the petition involved voter accreditation. The petitioners said that in 71 polling units across six wards, officials failed to properly mark voters’ details in the register as required, yet the votes from those units were still counted.
They also identified cases of over-voting in 31 polling units, where the number of votes recorded was higher than the number of accredited voters. Based on this, they argued that thousands of votes recorded for both parties in those areas should be cancelled.
After removing the disputed figures, the APC calculated that it would have 16,499 valid votes, while the PDP candidate would have 18,929 votes, leaving a difference of 2,430 votes.
The petition added that the gap between both candidates is smaller than the number of registered voters in the affected polling units. Based on this, the party argued that the result should not stand and called for the cancellation of the election outcome.
The APC and its candidate have asked the tribunal to void the result declared by the electoral body and determine who actually won the election inBREAKING: APC Drags PDP To Courts
The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Yahaya Usman, have taken legal action to challenge the outcome of the chairmanship election held in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Daily voice reports that the election took place on February 21, 2026, across 10 wards and 338 polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner after he secured 22,165 votes, while Usman polled 17,788 votes.
Not satisfied with the result, the APC and its candidate filed a petition before the election tribunal.
The case, marked FCT/ACEPT/EP/02/2026, seeks to overturn the declaration of the PDP candidate.
In the petition, the party and its candidate claimed that the election did not follow the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
They also alleged the presence of corrupt practices and argued that the declared winner did not obtain the highest number of valid votes.
They stated that several irregularities occurred during the election process.
According to them, results in at least six polling units across Kutunku, Ibwa, Tungan Maje, and Ikwa wards were altered. They claimed figures were changed to match the number of accredited voters and to hide cases of over-voting.
The petition also reported cases where entries on result sheets were tampered with.
It stated that cancellations and changes were made in some polling units, raising concerns about the credibility of the figures recorded.
In addition, the APC alleged that in two polling units, votes recorded for its candidate were reduced during the collation process.
The party further claimed that more than 100 polling units were affected by failure to follow electoral rules.
It also pointed to eight polling units where officials allegedly changed figures by erasing and rewriting results on official documents.
Another issue raised in the petition involved voter accreditation. The petitioners said that in 71 polling units across six wards, officials failed to properly mark voters’ details in the register as required, yet the votes from those units were still counted.
They also identified cases of over-voting in 31 polling units, where the number of votes recorded was higher than the number of accredited voters. Based on this, they argued that thousands of votes recorded for both parties in those areas should be cancelled.
After removing the disputed figures, the APC calculated that it would have 16,499 valid votes, while the PDP candidate would have 18,929 votes, leaving a difference of 2,430 votes.
The petition added that the gap between both candidates is smaller than the number of registered voters in the affected polling units. Based on this, the party argued that the result should not stand and called for the cancellation of the election outcome.
The APC and its candidate have asked the tribunal to void the result declared by the electoral body and determine who actually won the election in line with the law. line with the law.
Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, a prominent Nigerian cleric, has warned that the country’s 2027 general elections could be declared inconclusive due to violence
If election-related furies are not properly dealt with, they could hinder the declaration of results and precipitate a constitutional crisis, explained Primate Ayodele Nigeria’s general elections will be held on January 16, 2027, to elect the president, vice president, senators, representatives, governors, and state assembly members.
As Nigerians look ahead to the 2027 elections, Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder and leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Oke Afa, Lagos, has prophesied that although the polls will proceed as scheduled, they will face significant challenges.
Dailyvoice.ng reports that in a prophecy shared on the church’s official Facebook page on Tuesday, March 17, the cleric described the 2027 polls as high-stakes, “a make-or-mar election” for Nigeria.
The religious leader warned that if the 2027 elections are not properly managed, they could lead to the collapse of three of the four major political parties: the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He said:
“If care is not taken, the 2027 election will be declared inconclusive. The aura surrounding the date of the election is not good for the poll. So, the election will be full of crises.”
Primate Ayodele added:
“If the 2027 election is not managed properly, it might lead to the end of APC, PDP, and ADC. There are external forces that want to disrupt the election; they consider the election a do-or-die. That is what they plan.”
Meanwhile, Primate Ayodele prophesied that the polls will be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian judiciary.
In a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, and signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric claimed that the voters will not have a serious impact in the election.
Ayodele stated that there will be a misinterpretation of the Electoral Act and Nigeria’s constitution regarding the conduct of the election. He warned of a post-election crisis, especially the presidential election.
Ayodele said:
“The judiciary and INEC will pay for the coming election dearly because the electoral commission will face embarrassment and humiliation. The INEC will be involved in electoral malpractices in 2027. “We will hear about hacking and internet disruption towards the election. INEC and Judiciary will conclude the election, don’t expect much from voters.”
Earlier, Dailyvoice.ng reported that Primate Ayodele issued a notable warning to Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and Nwakuche Ndidi, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Ayodele cautioned that both presidential appointees could be removed from office if they are not careful, claiming that the Customs chief and the NCoS head have been earmarked for dismissal by President Bola Tinubu before the end of the current administration.
A Nigerian businessman and social media personality, Isaac Fayose, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will struggle to secure meaningful votes in Nigeria’s South-East region during the 2027 presidential election.
Fayose made the statement while reacting to the recent political mobilisation by the City Boys Movement in Imo State. The group, which is widely associated with Seyi Tinubu, had visited the state earlier in the week as part of efforts to build grassroots support for President Tinubu ahead of the next general election.
The gathering reportedly took place in Owerri and featured the presence of several public figures, including socialite and businessman Pascal Okechukwu. However, the outing quickly drew criticism online after images and videos circulated on social media suggesting a modest turnout at the event.
Reacting to the development on his Facebook page, Fayose mocked the rally and questioned the level of support the president enjoys in the South-East.
He wrote, “The city boys movement outing in Owerri Imo state yesterday was a show of shame …
Security operatives wey Dey there pass the crowd.”
The businessman went further to challenge supporters of the president, insisting that Tinubu would struggle to secure a significant share of votes from the region if the election is conducted fairly.
“I am ready to bet any of them with 10 million naira. President Tinubu won’t get 20% of the total vote cast come 2027”.
The South-East region has historically recorded low electoral support for Tinubu’s political platform. During the 2023 presidential election, voting patterns across several states in the zone showed overwhelming backing for opposition candidates.
