Osun Guber Race: Adeleke Leads as Political Heavyweights Fall in Their Polling Units

Early indications from Saturday's Osun State governorship election show Governor Ademola Adeleke, representing the Accord Party, establishing a significant lead as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the collation of results. Provisional outcomes uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) suggest Adeleke is ahead of other contenders.

Following Adeleke's trail is Bola Oyebamiji, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Party (ADC) appears to be in a distant third position. As of the time this report was filed, INEC had uploaded 95 percent of the results to IREV, with Governor Adeleke dominating in key local government areas such as Osogbo, Oriade, Iwo, Ede South, Ife North, Ife East, and Irepodun.

In Ife North, Adeleke secured a lead in 19 out of the 111 polling units monitored by correspondents. He garnered 2,043 votes, surpassing APC's Oyebamiji, who received 1,386 votes, and ADC's Salaam, who managed 51 votes. Within Ipetumodu II Ward 7 of the same council, Adeleke recorded 841 votes, while Oyebamiji had 446 votes, and Salaam 21 votes. Adeleke further extended his advantage in Edunabon I Ward 2 of Ife North, where results from seven of eleven polling units showed him with 638 votes, compared to Oyebamiji's 496 and Salaam's 15.

In Irepodun Local Government, Adeleke achieved victory in three wards, while Oyebamiji claimed two. Adeleke was leading in 28 units with a total of 2,510 votes out of 133 polling units released on IREV. Overall, Adeleke was ahead in 31 of 121 polling units, with Accord Party accumulating 4,429 votes against Oyebamiji's 3,088. Specific wards won by Adeleke included Baale Ward 2, Osolo/Oparin/Ola Ward, Oba Ojomu Ward 1, Faji/Opete Ward 4, and Asi/Asaba Ward 9.

For Ife East Local Government, which comprises ten wards, Sunday PUNCH collated results from Ilode II (Ward 3), Modakeke (Ward 10), Yekemi (Ward 7), and Ilode (Ward 2). From these, Adeleke led with 8,076 votes, followed by APC with 5,201 votes, and ADC with 234 votes.

According to the INEC collation result signed by Dr. Olabode Olajide, Adeleke secured 21,343 votes in Oriade LGA, against Oyebamiji's 14,863 votes. Similarly, in Osogbo LGA, Adeleke triumphed with 36,480 votes over APC's 30,474. The governor also swept Iwo LGA, polling 27,085 votes compared to APC's 19,660. In Ede South LGA, Adeleke amassed 26,188 votes, defeating Oyebamiji who garnered 6,219.

Meanwhile, several prominent political figures in Osun State experienced defeat in their respective polling units. Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a supporter of Oyebamiji, lost his polling unit to Adeleke. At Polling Unit 003, Ward 01, Court Hall 1, Okuku, in Odo-Otin LGA, Adeleke secured 125 votes against Oyebamiji’s 85.

Similarly, ex-Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who leads the ADC in the state, saw his polling unit 1, Ifofin Ward 8, Ilesa East LGA, won by the APC after a brief disruption. The result indicated APC received 256 votes, ADC 13 votes, and Accord 43 votes. At Ward 1, Unit 2, Ibokun NUD Primary School, Obokun LGA, where the National Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party, Diran Odeyemi, cast his vote, Accord Party secured 211 votes, while APC polled 178.

Furthermore, Iyiola Omisore, former National Secretary of the APC, lost his polling unit 003, Ife Ward 1 (Moore), St. Gabriel Primary School, Ife East Local Government Area, to Adeleke. Adeleke garnered 131 votes there, with Oyebamiji placing second with 85 votes.

Reports of vote-buying were widespread across various polling units in the state. Sunday PUNCH gathered that one political party allegedly disbursed N5 million to each polling unit, with individual voters reportedly receiving a minimum of N20,000. Beyond funds for polling units, the party also purportedly allocated between N2 million and N5 million to senior security officers in each LGA, with Divisional Police Officers receiving the lowest amounts.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) also reported instances of N50,000 being given to each voter in some polling units within Ilesa East Local Government Area. CJID further implicated security personnel in vote-buying incidents, alleging they received cash from a political party in Ayedaade and Ife North local governments. In Ejigbo Local Government, at Polling Unit 13, Orinayon, Ward 4, bundles of cash were confiscated from a party agent attempting to buy votes. A viral video also depicted voters confronting an agent with cash, allegedly for vote-buying, at Polling Unit 11, Ward 8, in Olorunda Local Government Area. Another report detailed vote-buying at Ward 11, Unit 17, Oke-Baale, Osogbo, where a party reportedly paid N25,000 to each voter.

Another issue observed during the election was BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) glitches in several polling units, including Polling Unit 001, Ilode Ward 1 (Ilode I), which is the polling unit of Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi.