Ademola Adeleke and Adegboyega Oyetola
By Our Reporter
Supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP have started to celebrate the early lead of the party in the Osun State governorship election. A video which surfaced online, showed the PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke and his nephew, award-winning Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, were seen celebrating what they termed the PDP’s early lead.
In the video obtained by our correspondent on Saturday, Adeleke and Davido hugged. “We did it this time,” Adeleke said, with Davido replying, “Yes”.
Also, wild jubilation engulfed PDP’s situation room, while the PDP claimed it was winning the election. However, based on the early results, there was anxiety in the camp of the APC and the governor, but an aide to the party’s chairman in the state dismissed claims that the party was jittery.
As of the time of filing this report, however, the Independent National Electoral Commission had yet to begin the announcement of results at the collation centre in Osogbo, the state capital. But checks on INEC’s result viewing portal showed that 28 out of the 30 local government areas had been fully uploaded on the portal, remaining Ife East and Orewole LGAs.
Some of the early results sighted by our correspondents showed that the two parties were in tight race in Osogbo, the state capital, Olorunda, Boluwaduro, Obokun, Egbedore and Oriade local government areas. Also, results viewed on the INEC portal randomly across the LGAs showed that the two parties were in a tight race.
No fewer than 15 political parties partook in the election but many believed the election was a two horse race between the candidate of the APC and incumbent governor of the state, Adegboyega Oyetola, and Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP.
Other candidates were Akin Ogunbiyi of Accord Party; Lasun Yusuff of Labour Party; Oyegoke Omigbodun of Social Democratic Party; Segun Awojide of African Action Congress; Kehinde Atanda of Action Democratic Party; Awoyemi Lukuman of Allied Peoples Movement; Adebayo Elisha of All Peoples Party; and Adeleke Adedapo of Boot Party.
Also, Rasaq Saliu of New Nigeria Peoples Party; Abede Samuel of National Rescue Movement; Ayowole Adedeji of Peoples Redemption Party; Ademola Adeseye of Young Peoples Party; and Adesuyi Olufemi of Zenith Labour Party.
The poll, which was held across 3,763 units in the 30 LGAs of the state, witnessed huge voter turnout and was largely peaceful. It was however characterised by massive vote-buying, which drew the condemnation of some candidates and civil society organisations.
