By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
Osun State Governor and candidate of the Accord Party (AP) in Saturday’s governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has emerged winner of the keenly contested poll.
He was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Sunday.
The returning officer, Prof Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, while announcing the final results after collation was completed across the state’s 30 local government areas, stated that Adeleke secured 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 444,815 votes.
The declared results also indicated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, announced Adeleke’s victory at the state collation centre at about 7:24am on Sunday.
He disclosed that Adeleke won 19 of the 30 local government areas in the state, while Oyebamiji emerged victorious in nine LGAs. The ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third in the contest.
The governor’s victories were recorded in Ede North, Ede South, Ejigbo, Iwo, Egbedore, Ife North, Ife East, Ife Central, Oriade, Ifelodun, Orolu, Ayedaade, Ayedire, Odo Otin, Boluwaduro, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Osogbo and one other local government area.
Oyebamiji secured victories in Irewole, Isokan, Olorunda, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun and Obokun.
According to the final figures announced by Ogunwole, 1,010,684 voters were accredited for the election, while 985,079 votes were valid. A total of 207 votes were rejected, with the overall number of votes cast put at 1,005,800.
The returning officer declared Adeleke the winner after the various political parties’ agents had signed the collated results.
According to Ogunwole: “That Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election and returned elected.”
With the declaration, Adeleke has fought and won a second term as governor of Osun State, following a keenly contested governorship election against Oyebamiji and other candidates.
