The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, securing a second term in office after polling the highest number of votes across the 30 local government areas of the state.
The State Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), announced the final result at the Osun State Governorship Election Collation Centre in Osogbo in the early hours of Sunday.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,814 votes.
The governor won by a margin of 66,253 votes.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of the 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11.
The result showed a closely fought contest in several parts of the state, but Adeleke’s stronger performances in a number of populous and strategically important LGAs ultimately gave him the overall advantage.
Among Adeleke’s strongest performances were Ede North, Ede South, Iwo, Ife East, Ife Central, Osogbo and Egbedore.
In Ede North, Adeleke recorded one of his biggest victories, polling 35,427 votes against Oyebamiji’s 10,283, giving him a commanding 25,144-vote margin. The ADC scored 307 votes.
Adeleke also secured a significant victory in Ede South, where he polled 26,188 votes against Oyebamiji’s 6,219, while ADC received 390 votes.
In Osogbo, the state capital, Adeleke scored 36,480 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who polled 30,474 votes. The ADC recorded 1,503 votes.
The governor won Ife East with 27,201 votes, compared with Oyebamiji’s 18,600, while ADC scored 935 votes.
In Iwo, Adeleke polled 27,085 votes against Oyebamiji’s 19,660, with ADC receiving 588 votes.
He also won Ife Central, where he secured 21,171 votes against the APC candidate’s 15,913 votes. ADC polled 747 votes.
Other LGAs won by Adeleke included Ife North, Ilesha West, Ifedayo, Orolu, Oriade, Odo Otin, Ifelodun, Ila, Aiyedire, Egbedore, Ayedaade and Ejigbo.
In Ejigbo, Adeleke scored 18,458 votes against Oyebamiji’s 16,195, while ADC candidate Najeem Salaam secured 5,053 votes in his home LGA.
Oyebamiji, however, recorded strong victories across several LGAs, including Ilesha East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakumosa West, Irewole, Atakumosa East, Isokan, Ola Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.
His most commanding victory came in Irewole, where he polled 29,972 votes against Adeleke’s 10,934, giving him a margin of 19,038 votes.
In Boripe, Oyebamiji scored 19,963 votes against Adeleke’s 12,448, while ADC recorded 379 votes.
He also won Ilesha East with 16,208 votes, compared with Adeleke’s 12,280, and secured Obokun with 16,120 votesagainst the governor’s 12,023.
In Irepodun, Oyebamiji narrowly defeated Adeleke, polling 15,713 votes against 14,504.
The APC candidate also won Isokan by a slim margin, recording 14,063 votes against Adeleke’s 13,765, a difference of just 298 votes.
In Olorunda, Oyebamiji secured 24,671 votes against Adeleke’s 23,514.
Other victories for Oyebamiji came in Ola Oluwa, Ife South, Atakumosa West and Atakumosa East.
Despite the APC candidate’s strong showing in several areas, Adeleke’s substantial margins in key LGAs proved decisive.
His 25,144-vote advantage in Ede North, for instance, significantly contributed to his overall lead, while his victories in other high-vote LGAs helped widen the gap between the two leading candidates.
At the end of the collation, Adeleke stood at 511,067 votes, Oyebamiji at 444,814, while ADC’s Salaam recorded 17,180 votes.
The final margin of 66,253 votes secured Adeleke’s return to the Osun State Government House for another four-year term.
With the declaration, Adeleke has successfully secured a second term as governor of Osun State, this time on the platform of the Accord Party.
