By Our Correspondent
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Governor Ademola Adeleke winner of the Osun State governorship election, handing him a second term in office.
The declaration was made in the early hours of Sunday by the state returning officer after votes from all 30 local government areas were collated. The exercise was described by observers as fiercely contested.
Mr Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress. Oyebamiji is a former finance commissioner in the state.
The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, came third in the race.
According to INEC, 15 political parties fielded candidates in the election. The commission also said 1,906,390 permanent voter cards were collected by voters ahead of the poll.
The governor swept victory in 11 local councils. INEC listed them as Oriade, Osogbo, Orolu, Ife Central, Ilesha-West, Ife-North, Ede South, Ifedayo, Boluwaduro, Iwo and Ifelodun.
Mr Oyebamiji won in 5 councils: Ilesha South, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, and Atakumosa West. Results from the remaining councils went to Mr Adeleke.
This victory marks a party switch for the governor. He was first elected in 2022 on the Peoples Democratic Party platform. He later defected to the Accord Party ahead of this election.
Campaigning, Mr Adeleke centered his message on what he called performance. He listed achievements in the state economy, infrastructure, pension payments, health and digital transformation. “Osun is no longer offline. Osun is awake, digitally and economically,” he said.
Ahead of the vote, the governor raised concerns about possible disruption. He also pledged that after the election he would set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate all reported killings and acts of violence linked to the electioneering. “We pay what is owed. We respect those who served. This is not politics. This is performance. This is leadership with results. Osun is rising—and we are not turning back,” he added.
