Osun Governorship Election: Adeleke Leads with 177,572 Votes as Collation Continues

The ongoing collation of results for the Osun State governorship election has shown Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party in the lead. According to the Nigeria Elections Intelligence System, with results from 303 out of 332 wards available, Adeleke has garnered 177,572 votes, which translates to 50.5 per cent of the total votes counted so far. His closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), trails behind with 158,588 votes, representing 45.1 per cent of the votes. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress is in third place with 5,917 votes. The total number of registered voters in the state is 845,100, out of which 361,500 were accredited to vote, resulting in a voter turnout of 42.8 per cent. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reported that 43.41 per cent of polling units have submitted their results as the collation process nears its conclusion. Adeleke, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Accord Party before the election, is seeking re-election. His running mate is Kola Adenusi, while Oyebamiji's running mate is Benjamin Adereti. The formal declaration of results by INEC's Returning Officer is expected once all outstanding wards have reported. The election saw 14 political parties participating after the PDP and the Labour Party failed to field candidates. A total of 351,500 valid votes were recorded, with 7,200 ballots rejected. The outcome of the election is being keenly watched, with the Accord Party and the APC being the main contenders.