Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has been declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election, securing a second term in office after defeating his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to emerge victorious in the election.
The State Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, announced the result at about 7:24am on Sunday at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre.
Ogunwole subsequently declared Adeleke returned elected for another term.
The incumbent governor won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas*l, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11 LGAs.
Adeleke recorded his victories 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 Ayedire.
Oyebamiji, on the other hand, won in Irewole, Isokan, Olorunda, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun and Obokun.
In the overall tally announced by the Returning Officer, the APC candidate polled 444,815 votes, while African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
A total of 1,010,684 voters were accredited, while the total valid votes stood at 985,079**. The total votes cast were 1,005,800, with 20,721 votes rejected.
Reading the final figures, Ogunwole declared:
“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.”
The declaration followed the signing of the collated results by representatives of the participating political parties.
Adeleke’s victory brings an end to weeks of intense campaigning, political realignments and heightened tension ahead of the election, with the incumbent securing another mandate from Osun voters.
