INEC Declares APC Oyetola Winner of Osun Gubernatorial Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the
candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, as the
Governor-elect of Osun State.

The rerun of the Osun State governorship election was held in
seven polling units across four council areas on Thursday with the
candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola,
beating the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola
Adeleke.

The returning officer, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, declared that the
APC candidate, Oyetola, won the governorship election by scoring a
total number of 255,505 votes while Adeleke of the PDP polled
255,023 votes.

This was, however, met with protests by Adeleke, the PDP, and
the Coalition of United Political Parties, among others.

Adeleke had won the main election on Saturday with 353 votes
after polling 254,698 against Oyetola’s 254,345. On Thursday, both
candidates relied on 2,637 votes in the seven units where the
Independent National Electoral Commission had declared rerun to win
the final contest.

The rerun was held in one polling unit in Oyere in Ife-North,
one polling unit in Olode in Ife-South, another polling unit in
Osi, Ife-South, three polling units in Orolu, Kajola Local
Government Area of the state and one polling unit in Osogbo.

In Oyere, APC had 126 votes while PDP had two votes. In Olode,
APC scored 283 votes with the PDP scoring 15 votes. In Osi, APC had
172 votes while the PDP had 21 votes. In Ifon, Orolu, APC had 111
votes against PDP’s three votes. In Gbogbo, Orolu, APC had 41 while
PDP scored 64 votes. Also in Idiya, Orolu, the APC scored 128 votes
against the PDP’s 55 votes.

In Osogbo, the APC scored 299 votes while the PDP scored 165
votes. In all, APC scored 1,160 to beat the PDP which scored 325 in
the rerun. When added to the result of the main election on
Saturday, APC had a total of 255, 505 votes against PDP’s
255,023.

In the run-up to the rerun of the election, the PDP alleged that
INEC shortchanged its candidate in some of the council areas by
announcing figures that were lower than what Adeleke actually
scored.

It claimed that the actual margin of the win against Oyetola in
the first election was 4,740 and not 353. The party said that INEC
added 2,000 votes to what the APC polled in Osogbo and 1,387 to
what it scored in Olorunda. The party also alleged that 1,000 votes
were deducted from what Adeleke scored in the Ayedaade council
area.

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore,
who came a distant third in the Saturday’s election, however,
became an important element in the Thursday’s rerun because some of
the polling units fell under the area of his strength. He was
visited by a high powered Federal Government delegation which
included the APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; Ogun State Governor
Ibikunle Amosun; his Oyo State counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi; 
Ekiti State Governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi;  and Minister of
Information, Lai Mohammed.

Although he also met some leaders of the PDP, which included the
party’s presidential aspirants, Bukola Saraki,  and Atiku
Abubakar, Omisore caved in under the FG pressure as he announced
that he would support the APC in the rerun.

In areas where the rerun was held in Ife-South and Ife-North,
PDP supporters alleged that they were barred by thugs from reaching
the polling units to cast their votes for Adeleke. They also
alleged that police watched as they were beaten by the thugs,
adding that the result of the election did not reflect the wish of
the electorate.

In Olode, the PDP agent was absent at the polling unit. One of
our correspondents who were at the polling unit witnessed the
beating of two people who claimed that they had come to vote.
Although there was a heavy presence of armed security men at the
unit, the hoodlums acted without hurdle. It was also observed that
voters were hugely induced to vote at the polling unit.

 It was gathered that voters were registered by an
agent at a mud house behind the polling area and given what was
termed agreement fee before voting and another amount after showing
evidence of voting. The evidence was usually the ink on the
thumbnail. It was also observed that the majority of the people at
the polling unit, except journalists, observers and security men,
had a common symbol of identification.

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Akin
Ojewande,  who was at the unit, said the election process was
peaceful. He said that it was the choice of the PDP not to be
represented at the unit.

He said, “The election is peaceful according to plan. Everybody
has the right to be here or not, How would I know (why the PDP
agent is not here). A party is allowed to have an agent at each
polling unit. Nobody was sent away from coming here. People have
been following the rule. I don’t know of other polling units.”

In Osogbo, gunshots fired by unknown people caused a commotion
as the voting process was disrupted. Two persons were arrested by
the police for attempting to buy votes from the electorate in the
queue. A man who was alleged to be in possession of cloned
Permanent Voter Cards was also whisked away by security men. An
undisclosed amount of money was also found on him.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the
candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, as the
Governor-elect of Osun State.

The rerun of the Osun State governorship election was held in
seven polling units across four council areas on Thursday with the
candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola,
beating the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola
Adeleke.

The returning officer, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, declared that the
APC candidate, Oyetola, won the governorship election by scoring a
total number of 255,505 votes while Adeleke of the PDP polled
255,023 votes.

This was, however, met with protests by Adeleke, the PDP, and
the Coalition of United Political Parties, among others.

Adeleke had won the main election on Saturday with 353 votes
after polling 254,698 against Oyetola’s 254,345. On Thursday, both
candidates relied on 2,637 votes in the seven units where the
Independent National Electoral Commission had declared rerun to win
the final contest.

The rerun was held in one polling unit in Oyere in Ife-North,
one polling unit in Olode in Ife-South, another polling unit in
Osi, Ife-South, three polling units in Orolu, Kajola Local
Government Area of the state and one polling unit in Osogbo.

In Oyere, APC had 126 votes while PDP had two votes. In Olode,
APC scored 283 votes with the PDP scoring 15 votes. In Osi, APC had
172 votes while the PDP had 21 votes. In Ifon, Orolu, APC had 111
votes against PDP’s three votes. In Gbogbo, Orolu, APC had 41 while
PDP scored 64 votes. Also in Idiya, Orolu, the APC scored 128 votes
against the PDP’s 55 votes.

In Osogbo, the APC scored 299 votes while the PDP scored 165
votes. In all, APC scored 1,160 to beat the PDP which scored 325 in
the rerun. When added to the result of the main election on
Saturday, APC had a total of 255, 505 votes against PDP’s
255,023.

In the run-up to the rerun of the election, the PDP alleged that
INEC shortchanged its candidate in some of the council areas by
announcing figures that were lower than what Adeleke actually
scored.

It claimed that the actual margin of the win against Oyetola in
the first election was 4,740 and not 353. The party said that INEC
added 2,000 votes to what the APC polled in Osogbo and 1,387 to
what it scored in Olorunda. The party also alleged that 1,000 votes
were deducted from what Adeleke scored in the Ayedaade council
area.

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore,
who came a distant third in the Saturday’s election, however,
became an important element in the Thursday’s rerun because some of
the polling units fell under the area of his strength. He was
visited by a high powered Federal Government delegation which
included the APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; Ogun State Governor
Ibikunle Amosun; his Oyo State counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi; 
Ekiti State Governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi;  and Minister of
Information, Lai Mohammed.

Although he also met some leaders of the PDP, which included the
party’s presidential aspirants, Bukola Saraki,  and Atiku
Abubakar, Omisore caved in under the FG pressure as he announced
that he would support the APC in the rerun.

In areas where the rerun was held in Ife-South and Ife-North,
PDP supporters alleged that they were barred by thugs from reaching
the polling units to cast their votes for Adeleke. They also
alleged that police watched as they were beaten by the thugs,
adding that the result of the election did not reflect the wish of
the electorate.

In Olode, the PDP agent was absent at the polling unit. One of
our correspondents who were at the polling unit witnessed the
beating of two people who claimed that they had come to vote.
Although there was a heavy presence of armed security men at the
unit, the hoodlums acted without hurdle. It was also observed that
voters were hugely induced to vote at the polling unit.

 It was gathered that voters were registered by an
agent at a mud house behind the polling area and given what was
termed agreement fee before voting and another amount after showing
evidence of voting. The evidence was usually the ink on the
thumbnail. It was also observed that the majority of the people at
the polling unit, except journalists, observers and security men,
had a common symbol of identification.

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Akin
Ojewande,  who was at the unit, said the election process was
peaceful. He said that it was the choice of the PDP not to be
represented at the unit.

He said, “The election is peaceful according to plan. Everybody
has the right to be here or not, How would I know (why the PDP
agent is not here). A party is allowed to have an agent at each
polling unit. Nobody was sent away from coming here. People have
been following the rule. I don’t know of other polling units.”

In Osogbo, gunshots fired by unknown people caused a commotion
as the voting process was disrupted. Two persons were arrested by
the police for attempting to buy votes from the electorate in the
queue. A man who was alleged to be in possession of cloned
Permanent Voter Cards was also whisked away by security men. An
undisclosed amount of money was also found on him.