INEC declares Adeleke winner of Osun governorship poll, unseats incumbent Oyetola

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sunday morning, officially declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, as winner of the governorship elections, conducted Saturday, across the 30 local government areas of the state.

According to INEC, Adeleke polled a total of 403, 371 votes to beat his closest challenger and incumbent State Governor, Adegboyega Adeleke of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had garnered 375, 027 votes.

The Labour Party’s candidate, Lasun Yusuf received a surprise 2,729 votes in the election.

The results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission registered that out of the votes counted across the state, Mr Adeleke received 403,371, unseating the incumbent, who scored 375,027 votes.

Returning Officer, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe who is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos returned Adeleke, having scored the required number of votes and in fulfillment of the extant laws.

The PDP candidate won in 17 out of thirty Local Governments Areas with  403,371 votes to defeat APC’s Oyetola who won in 13 LGAs with 375,027 votes.

Action Democratic Party finished distant third with 10,104.

Speaking at the Collation Center at the ÍNEC, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof AbdulGaniyy Raji thanked residents of Osun state for living up to their billing by conducting themselves in peaceful manner.

The election, which has been described by many stakeholders as peaceful, free, fair and credible, was characterised by early arrival of electoral staff and voting materials, optimal functioning of Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and large turnout of voters.

The Osun governorship election held in 332 wards with 3,763 Polling Units. The state had a total of 1,955,657 registered voters with 1,479,596 of them being eligible to vote.

Senator Adeleke, who defeated Dotun Babayemi to emerge as the PDP’s candidate during the March 10, 2022 party primary had in 2018 lost the governorship poll to incumbent state governor, Oyetola.

The PDP candidate, Senator Adeleke who had alleged being rigged out by the APC and its candidate, Oyetola would be seeking to correct the outcome of the poll in 2018 when Senator Iyiola Omisore, then candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) withdrew from a scheduled run-off poll for him, Adeleke and Oyetola, and aligned with the APC candidate to clinch victory in the election for the incumbent state governor, after the main election was controversially declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the PDP candidate seemingly coasting to victory.

Reacting to his victory in the just-concluded elections in Osun, the overjoyed Adeleke said: “I have brought light to Osun State. “

Also reacting to the victory, Sunday, state governors of Edo, Delta and Bauchi congratulated the former Osun senator on the feat, even as immediate past senate president, Bukola Saraki joined in the goodwill messages.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi said: “On behalf of the people and government of Bauchi State, I wish my colleague and brother, Senator Adeleke, a hearty congratulations on successfully retrieving his mandate to serve the great people of Osun State. You are the people’s choice.”

Delta State Governor and Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming 2023 General Elections, Ifeanyi Okowa said: “I congratulate the people of Osun State and my brother, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the PDP candidate for a decisive victory at yesterday’s polls.”

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki (GGO), said: “I congratulate the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Adeleke, on his victory in the Osun 2022 governorship election.”

Also, former senate president, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said: “Today, all across Nigeria, the nation has watched as the people of Osun State delivered a clear, loud, and strong message: “Imole De” — which means that light has come.

“We have watched, as the people of this great state have reclaimed their mandate and the mandate of my dear friend and brother, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, the PDP  Governorship candidate, which was surreptitiously stolen at the polls exactly 4-years ago.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said: “On behalf of the government and the good people of Oyo State, I congratulate the Governor-Elect, Senator Adeleke and the people of Osun State on this victory. It’s great to have a second PDP flag flying in the southwest. 

“Truly, power resides with the people.”