Adeleke defeats APC to secure second term in Osun
INEC declares Governor Ademola Adeleke winner of Osun governorship election with 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger by over 66,000 votes.
The incumbent governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has secured a decisive victory in Saturday’s governorship election, defeating 14 other candidates to win a second term. Mr Adeleke of the Accord Party was formally declared the winner by INEC returning officer Joshua Ogunwole on Sunday morning at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo.
The final results showed Mr Adeleke polling 511,067 votes, while his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, secured 444,815 votes, a difference of 66,252 votes. Mr Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Mr Oyebamiji claimed victory in 11. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Mr Adeleke’s victory was built on commanding performances in his strongholds. In Ede North, he polled 35,427 votes against Mr Oyebamiji’s 10,283. In Ede South, he recorded 26,188 votes against 6,219. In Osogbo, the state capital, Mr Adeleke secured 36,480 votes, while the APC candidate polled 30,474. The incumbent also recorded significant victories in Ife East, Iwo, Egbedore and Oriade.
Mr Oyebamiji, however, won in 11 local government areas, including his hometown of Irewole, where he scored 29,972 votes against Mr Adeleke’s 10,934. The opposition candidate also prevailed in Boripe, Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Ife South, Ilesa East, Irepodun, Isokan, Obokun, Ola-Oluwa and Olorunda.
The total valid votes cast stood at 985,079, with 20,721 rejected votes and a total of 1,005,800 votes cast. The accredited voters for the election were 1,010,604.
APC’s Strategic Absence
In a development that spoke volumes about the party’s assessment of its prospects, officials and agents of the APC were conspicuously absent during the final collation of results at the INEC headquarters in Osogbo on Sunday morning. Party agents had been present at polling units and local government collation centres, where results were collated before being moved to the state office for final announcement. However, when INEC commenced the final declaration, none of the APC agents was present, unlike agents of other political parties.
The absence may not be unconnected with the party’s assessment of the outcome, which appeared unfavourable to its candidate. The party has yet to give an official reason for its absence.
The Aftermath
As the announcement of results concluded, Mr Adeleke’s supporters were seen jubilating outside the INEC office, while the deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, was seated inside the hall observing the collation process. The celebration outside the INEC office was a reflection of the confidence that the Accord Party had built throughout the electoral process.
This is the second victory for Mr Adeleke, who was first elected governor in 2022, and it reaffirms his hold on the state. The APC, which lost the governorship to Mr Adeleke four years ago, has once again failed to reclaim the state.
The winners: Governor Ademola Adeleke, who has secured a second term; the Accord Party, which has retained control of Osun State; and the voters of Osun, who have expressed their will through the ballot box. The losers: the All Progressives Congress, which has failed to reclaim the state; the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who lost by a significant margin; and the APC’s strategists, who must now reassess their approach to the state.
Bottom Line: Adeleke has won re-election by a clear margin. The APC was absent at the final collation. The message from Osun voters is unambiguous: they have chosen continuity over change. The question is whether the APC will accept the verdict or seek to challenge the outcome.