Ademola Adeleke has been re-elected as Governor of Osun State, securing a second term after defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the state’s governorship election.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) early Sunday morning following an overnight collation of results in Osogbo, the state capital.
The INEC Returning Officer for the election, Joshua Ogunwole, announced that Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to emerge victorious.
His closest challenger, Oyebamiji of the APC, secured 444,815 votes, while Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji emerged victorious in 11 LGAs.
The incumbent governor therefore secured victory with a 66,252-vote margin over his APC challenger.
The election was held amid heightened political tension and concerns over violence following reported attacks and clashes in the days leading up to the poll.
Despite the apprehension, voting took place across the state, with a significant turnout recorded in several polling units. However, technical challenges involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) delayed voting and the conclusion of the exercise in some areas.
There were also reports of vote-buying, alleged voter intimidation and harassment of journalists during the election.
With the final results now declared, Adeleke will serve another four-year term as governor of Osun State.