*** Accord Party’s Adeleke re-elected with 511,067 votes

*** ‘Tinubu is Osun son’, says Adeleke, reaffirms support for president’s second term bid

*** We’re still studying outcome of poll – APC

***APC defeat, a reflection of what is expected in 2027 – Atiku

By Eze Nnadi

President Bola Tinubu has described the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State as a confirmation of the people’s confidence in the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.

The president stated this when he called to congratulate the Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, as he was declared winner of the Osun State tate governorship election on Saturday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on Sunday morning, declared the incumbent governor of Osun State and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, winner of the state’s governorship election.

The Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, announced that Accord Party’s Adeleke was returned winner after polling 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who polled 444,815 votes.

President Tinubu in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the re‑election of Governor Adeleke was a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in the country under the All Progressives Congress administration.

He further congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for conducting what he described as a peaceful and credible election in Osun State.

President Tinubu was quoted in the statement as saying: “I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today to congratulate him on his election victory in Osun State. His victory once again confirms the people of Osun State’s confidence in him.

“I wish him great success as he prepares to lead the state for the next four years. Now that he has won, Governor Adeleke must unite the people of Osun State and rally them for growth, stability, and social and economic progress, regardless of the political choices they made in the election.

“I salute the courage and discipline displayed by other contestants in the election. Their participation deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture. The outcome of the election reflects the will of the people and is a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our land.”

This is as the re-elected Governor Ademola Adeleke has reaffirmed his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 general election.

Adeleke, who described the president as a worthy son of Osun state appreciated Tinubu for what he described as a free, fair and credible election.

“At this point, I must deeply appreciate Mr President, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his strong support for a free and fair election.

“President Tinubu is son of Osun State and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election,” he said.

Even as governor Adeleke had confirmed President Tinubu’s congratulatory message to him, he noted that he was yet to receive any from his closest rival, Bayo Oyebamiji of the APC, even as the opposition party has noted that it is still studying the outcome of the elections

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on Sunday that its leadership is currently studying the results of Saturday’s governorship election in each of the 332 wards across the state as declared by INEC, adding that it will be making the party’s next line of action known to the public.

The party noted that an election cannot be said to have been concluded without having explored all the constitutionally allowed legal opportunities as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2026 as amended.

“We are not unaware of the fact that election is a process which begins at the registration of the voters through the primary election to the election proper, which extends to the tribunal, the Appeal Court and terminates at the Supreme Court.

“An election cannot be said to have been concluded without having explored all these constitutionally allowed legal opportunity to enrich the nation’s jurisprudence as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2026 as amended.

“As a result of the foregoing, we are imploring our ever loyal members and supporters to remain calm while they carry on with their businesses and refuse to respond to any provocative action or inaction from any of the members of the ruling party across the state.

“It is necessary to assure our members and supporters to remain steadfast about the current situation and have it in mind that it is not over until it is over,” the party stated.

Meanwhile, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubarkar, has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election, describing the outcome as a reflection of what is to come in 2027.

Atiku, in a statement by his media office, described the outcome of the Osun governorship election as the democratic wishes of the people of Osun State, adding that it was a reflection of what will happen in the 2027 general election.

He expressed his appreciation of the people of Osun state, with the manner in which the voters came out and resisted what he described as “anti-democratic machinations” aimed at undermining the democratic process during the election.

“The lesson from the election is that the voters in Osun State have set a good example of how we must come out in large numbers in the general elections next year.

“Another important lesson from the Osun election is that it is a clear manifestation of how the collective resolve of the electorate to stand firm to protect their ballot is the best antidote to rigging, vote buying and other electoral malpractice and irregularities.

“Nigerians have roundly rejected the APC. The election in Osun State is just a telling indication that the APC will be defeated in the general election in January 2027. Indeed, it is a forerunner of the 2027 General Elections.” Atiku stated.

By Uloma Okeke

The 2026 World Conference of Zion Prayer Movement Outreach will be held next week at Zion City, the permanent site of the ministry at Mgbichi, Ngor Okpala, Imo State.

A press statement released by Zion Ministry in Lagos on Friday disclosed that the three-day crusade will begin on Friday, August 21, and end on Sunday, August 23, 2026.

The World Conference is the largest annual gathering organized by Zion Prayer Movement Outreach and attracts participants from across Nigeria, Africa, Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and others parts of the world.

It is the Third time the annual conference will be held outside Lagos, and the crusade will mark the end of the 100 Days Fasting and Prayer started in May by the ministry. Like in previous editions, hundreds of thousands of Zionites from across the world are expected to attend this year’ conference.

The Annual 100 Days Fasting and Prayers is one of the ministry’s most significant spiritual programmes during which members engage in a season of prayers, fasting, worship, Biblical reflection, thanksgiving and fellowship. The programme culminates in the closing World Conference drawing worshippers, pilgrims, clergy, volunteers and media representatives.

The Spiritual Director of Zion, Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi, said that the crusade is expected to record thousands of people giving up their lives to Christ, awesome miracles, instant healings, deliverance from bondage, salvation of souls and verifiable testimonies.

***US says Nigeria failed fiscal transparency test in 2025

***Says government revenue, expenditure must tally with enacted budget

***FG committed to strengthening fiscal transparency, accountability and public financial management – presidency

By Sam Otuonye

Former Vice president of Nigeria and the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his dissatisfaction with what he described as lack of transparency in the handling and f the county’s fiscal policies by the federal government

Atiku, who raised the concerns while reacting to the recent report by the United States of America (USA) which listed Nigeria as one of 67 countries that failed it’s fiscal integrity test, said he has been vindicated by the recent report which highlighted concerns over fiscal transparency in Nigeria, with specific reference to the federal government’s failure to disclose revenues and expenditures.

Recall that Atiku has continually raised concerns and criticisms over federal government’s financial policies, especially with the 2026 approved appropriation budget, where the former vice president has identified and queried alleged insertion of several fictitious figures and projects running into billions of Naira by both the federal government and national assembly

The US report, which was released on Thursday by the Department of States, said Nigeria failed to meet the government’s minimum fiscal transparency requirements in 2025.

The US findings further categorised Nigeria as among the 14 out of the 67 country that are not making any significant progress towards addressing the deficiencies identified during the review period.

The report assessed Nigeria and 138 other governments, including the Palestinian Authority, for the period January 1 to December 31, 2025

The US department of state said its assessment included whether governments make key fiscal information available to the public, including budget documents, debt obligations, audit reports, natural resource contracts and public procurement information.

Accordingly to the report, “Fiscal transparency is a critical element of effective public financial management, helps build market confidence, and underpins economic sustainability

“Transparency fosters greater government accountability by providing a window into government budgets, helping citizens hold their leadership accountable and facilitating better public debate,” the report noted

The report noted that the assessment requires governments to make their executive budget proposals, enacted budgets and end-of-year reports widely and easily accessible within specified periods.

“Budget documents, including the executive budget proposal, enacted budget, and end-of-year report, should be widely and easily accessible to the public

“Information on government debt obligations, including from state-owned enterprises, should also be publicly available on a public-facing website and updated at least annually

“Publicly available budget documents should provide a substantially full picture of a government’s planned expenditures and revenue, including natural resource revenues,” the US report added.

The report emphasised that such documents should include expenditure broken down by ministry and revenue broken down by source and type, as well as allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises.

The US report emphasised that government revenue and expenditure should correspond to the enacted budget, while significant deviations should be explained and publicly disclosed

“Budget documents and related data are considered reliable if the information contained therein is credible, meaning actual government revenues and expenditures correspond to the enacted budget

“The basic parameters of concessions and contracts should be made publicly available after the decision,” the report further stated

The report however cautioned that the fiscal transparency assessment should not be interpreted as a corruption ranking.

“A finding that a government ‘does not meet the minimum fiscal transparency requirements’ does not necessarily mean there is significant corruption in the government,” the department added.

“Similarly, a finding that a government ‘meets the minimum fiscal transparency requirements’ does not necessarily reflect a low level of corruption,” it explained

Atiku has consistently called out the Bola Tinubu-led administration for its failure to uphold the basic standards of fiscal transparency, accountability, and disclosure required in a modern democracy.

The former vice president in a statement issued by his media office on Thursday, said the “damming” US report aligns with his concerns about discrepancies between Nigeria’s approved budget and the actual revenues and expenditures recorded during implementation.

“This is precisely what Atiku Abubakar has been saying for years: that Nigerians are being kept in the dark about how public resources are generated and spent.

“Atiku had maintained that without full disclosure of how public funds are earned and spent, Nigeria cannot attract investment, fight corruption, or build public trust.

“Transparency is not a slogan. It is the foundation of good governance,” he had said in one of his several interventions on the issue.

“This report confirms what we have been saying that Nigerians deserve to know where every kobo is coming from and where it is being spent. They are our resources and not the resources of President Bola Tinubu and his family and friends,” the statement said.

The former Vice President stressed that fiscal transparency is a key benchmark for investors, donor agencies, and credit rating firms, reminding that our economy also relies heavily on foreign investment and multilateral support to fund infrastructure and social programmes.

He reiterated that publishing detailed, timely data on revenue from oil, taxes, and borrowing, and on how that money is spent is critical to restoring confidence amid rising debt and inflation.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has responded to a US assessment that Nigeria failed to meet minimum fiscal transparency requirements, stating that the findings should be viewed as an external benchmark rather than a complete assessment of the country’s fiscal governance.

Special Adviser to the President on Media, Sunday Dare, said the Federal Government remains committed to strengthening fiscal transparency, accountability and public financial management.

His response followed the release of the 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report by the US Department of State, which classified Nigeria among 67 governments that failed to meet the minimum requirements during the 2025 review period.

The report identified weaknesses in Nigeria’s budget disclosure, revenue and expenditure reporting, audit independence and public procurement transparency, while also acknowledging progress in the public availability of budget documents and debt obligations.

Dare said the government takes the findings seriously but argued that the assessment should be properly contextualised.

“Fiscal transparency, accountability and effective public financial management remain important priorities of the Federal Government, and Nigeria continues to implement reforms aimed at strengthening the management, reporting and disclosure of public resources.

“The U.S. Fiscal Transparency Report is a specific assessment against the Department of State’s minimum fiscal-transparency requirements, particularly the public disclosure of national budget information, government contracts and natural-resource licenses.

“It should therefore not be interpreted as a comprehensive assessment of all fiscal and public financial management reforms currently underway in Nigeria.

“The appropriate response, therefore, is neither to dismiss the findings nor to portray them as a complete characterization of Nigeria’s fiscal governance.”

Dare said the government has established mechanisms including the Open Treasury initiative, public budget documentation, debt disclosures and reforms to public procurement, while also strengthening digital procurement and other systems designed to improve the accessibility, reliability and timeliness of public financial information.

In its 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report released on Thursday, the US Department of State said Nigeria made no significant progress in addressing the deficiencies identified during the review period.

Nigeria made its enacted budget and end-of-year report widely and easily accessible to the public, including online, but did not publish its executive budget proposal within a reasonable period.

Information on government debt obligations, including major state-owned enterprise debt, was publicly available, but budget documents did not provide a substantially complete picture of government revenues and expenditures.

Actual government revenues and expenditures did not reasonably correspond to those contained in the enacted budget.
The Supreme Audit Institution did not meet international standards of independence or publish substantive reports, although it had access to the entire executed budget.

The latest assessment comes after concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over Nigeria’s fiscal reporting and financing arrangements.