The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, winner of the Osun 2022 governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, announced that Adeleke got a total of 403,371 votes beating the incumbent, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, who got 375,027 votes in a keenly contested race.

He said, “I declare Adeleke Ademola Jackson Nurudeen, on behalf of the chairman of INEC, of the PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected.”

According to the total votes recorded by the electoral umpire, the PDP won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas of the state, while the APC won the remaining 13.

The PDP won in Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Egbedore, Odo Otin, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Olorunda, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Orolu, Ife North, Irepodun, and Ejigbo LGAs.

The APC, on the other hand, won in Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Ife South, and Ife East LGAs.

Earlier, Adeleke and his nephew, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, were seen in a video that surfaced online, celebrating an early lead when the counting started.

Meanwhile, in the Situation Room of the PDP, there was also wild jubilation as the PDP claimed it was winning the election even before the final results were announced.

Although many believed the Osun governorship election was a two-horse race between Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Senator Adeleke, no fewer than 15 political parties partook in the election.

Other candidates included 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.

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 also participated in the election.

The election was held across 3,763 units in the 30 LGAs of the state and witnessed a huge voter turnout and was largely peaceful.

Of the 1,955,657 registered voters in the state, 1,479,595 Permanent Voter Cards were collected before the election.

Kehinde Atanda of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) came in at a distant third with 10,104 votes, followed by Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party with 4,515 votes.

Votes for the other candidates are as follows: Akinade Ogunbiyi, A party — 4,514 votes; Awojide Segun, AAC — 2,148; Kehinde Atanda, ADP -10,104; Awoyemi Lukuman, APM — 1,222; and Adebayo Elisha, APP — 601 votes.

Adeleke Adedapo of BP got 374 votes; Rasaq Saliu, NNPP — 393; Abede Samuel, NRM — 777; Ayowole Adedeji, PRP — 1,007; Omigbodun Akinrinola, SDP — 515; Ademola Adeseye, YPP — 1,303; and Adesuyi Olufemi, ZLP — 364 votes.

To keep the peace in the state, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, had deployed about 21,000 police operatives, apart from other security outfits also present which included the military and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The poll was, however, characterised by massive vote-buying, which drew the condemnation of some candidates and civil society organisations.

Nearly four years after failing, by a small margin, in his bid to govern Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has overcome the biggest obstacle to his dream.

Below is how Ademola Adeleke reacted after being declared winner;