The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party (A), has opened up an early advantage on Saturday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced collation of results from the Osun State governorship election.
A check on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) showed the governor ahead of his closest rivals.
Trailing him was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, while the African Democratic Party’s (ADC), Najeem Salaam trailed further behind in third position.
By the time this report was filed, INEC had uploaded 95 per cent of results to IREV, with the governor maintaining a lead in Osogbo, Oriade, Iwo, Ede South, Ife North, Ife East and Irepodun local government areas.
In Ife North, results from 19 of the 111 polling units monitored showed Adeleke out in front with 2,043 votes, ahead of Oyebamiji’s 1,386 votes. Salaam of the ADP managed 51 votes.
At Ipetumodu II, Ward 7, the governor polled 841 votes against Oyebamiji’s 446, while Salaam picked up 21 votes.
He widened the margin at Edunabon I, Ward 2, where seven of the ward’s 11 polling units had reported. Adeleke scored 638 votes there, with Oyebamiji collecting 496 and Salaam trailing with 15.
Results from Irepodun LGA showed Adeleke winning three wards to Oyebamiji’s two. Across 28 polling units out of 133 declared on IREV, the governor amassed 2,510 votes.
A similar pattern played out elsewhere in the local government, where Adeleke led in 31 of 121 released polling units, pulling in 4,429 votes against Oyebamiji’s 3,088.
The governor’s strongest showings came at Baale Ward 2; Osolo/Oparin/Ola Ward; Oba Ojomu Ward 1; Faji/Opete Ward 4; and Asi/Asaba Ward 9.
In Ife East, which is made up of 10 wards, collated figures from four wards, Ilode II (Ward 3), Modakeke (Ward 10), Yekemi (Ward 7) and Ilode (Ward 2), put Adeleke ahead with 8,076 votes. The APC followed with 5,201 votes, while the ADC polled 234.
Oriade LGA also went the governor’s way, with 21,343 votes recorded for him against 14,863 for Oyebamiji, according to the INEC collation result signed by Dr Olabode Olajide.
Adeleke held on to his stronghold areas, winning Osogbo LGA with 36,480 votes to the APC’s 30,474.
He also cleared Iwo LGA, polling 27,085 votes against Oyebamiji’s 19,660, and recorded a wide margin in Ede South, where he scored 26,188 votes to the APC candidate’s 6,219.
Top Politicians Lose Polling Units
Despite the show of strength by their parties, some of Osun’s most prominent political figures could not carry their own polling units.
Former governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a key backer of Oyebamiji’s campaign, lost at his unit, Polling Unit 003, Ward 1, Court Hall 1, Okuku, in Odo-Otin LGA, where Adeleke polled 125 votes to Oyebamiji’s 85.
Ex-governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who leads the ADC in the state, also lost his polling unit to the APC after voting was briefly disrupted at his unit, Unit 1, Ifofin, Ward 8, Ilesa East LGA.
A result showed the APC polling 256 votes, Accord Party 43, and the ADC just 13.
At Ward 1, Unit 2, Ibokun NUD Primary School in Obokun LGA, where the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Treasurer, Diran Odeyemi, cast his vote, the Accord Party edged the APC, 211 votes to 178.
A former National Secretary of the APC, Iyiola Omisore, similarly lost his unit, Polling Unit 003, Ife Ward 1 (Moore), St Gabriel Primary School, Ife East LGA, to the governor, who polled 131 votes against Omisore’s preferred candidate’s 85.
