Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has said that if the Federal Government wanted to take an election by force, there would be little anyone could do to stop it.
Fayose made the remark while speaking on the outcome of the Osun State governorship election, which was held on August 15, 2026, during an interview with TVC News.
The former governor, who said he was in Osogbo throughout the election, explained that he visited markets and communities across the state to understand the mood of voters ahead of the poll.
Fayose said his interactions with residents suggested that the election would be closely contested, noting that the result could have gone either way.
He said, “I was in Osogbo. One, because, um, you gain more experience when you are part of a system.”
Explaining his reason for being in the state, Fayose said he wanted to get information directly from ordinary residents about the election.
He said, “I was in Osogbo firstly to have an information about how that election was going to go with the ordinary folks. I was in a number of market communities. I was in Ilesa. I was in a couple of communities, and I listened to them. So I knew, very clearly, that the outcome, ordinarily, may not be far from what it is.”
When asked if he knew Governor Ademola Adeleke would win, Fayose said the closeness of the contest meant either candidate could have emerged victorious.
He said, “Well, the outcome may not be far from what it is. When you have an election that is 52, 48, it could go either way.”
Fayose contrasted that with an election where one candidate has a much wider lead, saying, “If you have an election that is 30, 70, that you don’t, you can declare what will happen.”
He, however, expressed concern about violence and killings recorded around the election, describing them as unnecessary.
Fayose said, “But what greeted the election towards the end was unfortunate violence, desperation, and killings that were mostly unnecessary.”
He maintained that the election was closely contested and said the result should be examined beyond simply declaring a winner and a loser.
He said, “So let me say to you, the election, ordinarily because of the closeness, in my perception, could go either way.”
Fayose said the final margin was 66,000 votes and argued that a significant portion of the difference came from Ede, the home base of the Adeleke family.
He said, “That election was won by 66,000 votes. 46 of that 40, of the 66,000 votes came from Ede, which is the stronghold of the Adelekes.”
According to him, the result from Ede was not unexpected because of the area’s support for the Adeleke family.
He said, “Everybody, all permutations pointed to, would not be a surprise when you get such figures from Ede. But I didn’t, personally I didn’t look out for a 46,000 out of 66, you understand? It’s all been a known fact that Ede is the base of the Adelekes.”
Fayose also broke down the remaining margin across other areas, including Ilesa and Osogbo, to reinforce his position that the election was keenly contested.
He said, “Now you have 20,000 left. Another 6,000 is from Ilesa, from, uh, Osogbo. Then you have 14,000 left. And in another place, there was a 4,000. You have 10,000 left. In about five local governments, you have about 55,000 votes win, you understand?”
He therefore congratulated Adeleke on his victory and urged him to reconcile with all stakeholders in the state.
Fayose said, “So let me say to you, it was a keenly contested election, which ordinarily, for Ede, would have gone either way.”
He added, “So let us commend the Adelekes for winning and remind them they need to be magnanimous in victory.”
Fayose called for reconciliation beyond the Accord Party, saying the Adeleke administration should work with all stakeholders in Osun.
He said, “Be magnanimous in victory. The language now must be right. Reconciliation must be total. Not with the Accord alone, but with all other stakeholders because all of you are from, from, um, from, um, Osun state.”
On claims that the Federal Government could influence the outcome of the election, Fayose said the government would succeed if it genuinely decided to take an election.
He said, “The only thing I hear that, uh, towards the election was the federal government would take it by force, the federal government has come to do this. I want to say to you, if the federal government wants to take an election, they will take it. If the federal government… the ones I know of the past, if they want to take an election, there’s nothing you can do.”
His comments came after the August 15 Osun governorship election, in which incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke secured another term in office.
The discussion also touched on Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike’s position that the Accord Party won the election because President Bola Tinubu allowed the poll to remain free and fair.
Fayose agreed with that position, responding, “That, that exactly…”
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