Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has taken an early lead in the Osun State governorship election as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the collation of results on Saturday.
Provisional figures uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) showed Adeleke ahead of his closest rival, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, was a distant third in the results available at the time of reporting.
About 95 per cent of the results had reportedly been uploaded to IREV, with Adeleke recording strong performances in several local government areas, including Osogbo, Oriade, Iwo, Ede South, Ife North, Ife East and Irepodun.
In Ife North, results from monitored polling units showed Adeleke ahead with 2,043 votes, compared with Oyebamiji’s 1,386 and Salaam’s 51. At Ipetumodu II Ward 7, Adeleke secured 841 votes, while Oyebamiji and Salaam recorded 446 and 21 votes respectively.
Adeleke also maintained an advantage at Edunabon I Ward 2, where results from seven of the 11 polling units gave him 638 votes against Oyebamiji’s 496 and Salaam’s 15.
In Irepodun Local Government Area, Adeleke was ahead in 28 of the 133 polling units whose results had been released on IREV, with 2,510 votes. Oyebamiji followed with a lower tally. Adeleke also won several wards, including Baale Ward 2, Osolo/Oparin/Ola Ward, Oba Ojomu Ward 1, Faji/Opete Ward 4 and Asi/Asaba Ward 9.
Results from parts of Ife East also favoured Adeleke. In four wards monitored by correspondents, he accumulated 8,076 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 5,201 and Salaam 234.
The governor recorded another strong showing in Oriade, where the collation result put him at 21,343 votes against Oyebamiji’s 14,863.
Adeleke also won Osogbo with 36,480 votes to Oyebamiji’s 30,474, while in Iwo he recorded 27,085 votes against the APC candidate’s 19,660.
His strongest margin in the reported results came from Ede South, where Adeleke polled 26,188 votes, compared with Oyebamiji’s 6,219.
Political heavyweights suffer defeats at polling units
Several prominent politicians also failed to secure victories at their own polling units.
Former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who supported Oyebamiji, lost his polling unit in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area. Adeleke received 125 votes there, while Oyebamiji scored 85.
Former governor Rauf Aregbesola, an ADC leader, similarly lost his polling unit in Ilesa East. The APC obtained 256 votes, compared with 43 for Accord and 13 for the ADC.
At the polling unit where Peoples Democratic Party National Treasurer Diran Odeyemi voted in Obokun Local Government Area, Accord recorded 211 votes against APC’s 178.
Former APC National Secretary Iyiola Omisore also lost his polling unit in Ife East. Adeleke polled 131 votes, while Oyebamiji received 85.
Allegations of widespread vote-buying
The election was accompanied by numerous allegations of vote-buying across the state.
Reports attributed to election observers and civil society organisations alleged that large sums of money were distributed to voters at several polling units. One claim alleged that as much as N5 million was allocated to individual polling units by a political party, with voters allegedly receiving at least N20,000 each.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) also reported allegations that voters in some areas of Ilesa East received as much as N50,000.
The organisation further alleged that some security personnel received money from a political party in Ayedaade and Ife North.
At a polling unit in Ejigbo, bundles of cash allegedly intended for vote-buying were reportedly seized from a party agent. Another video circulating online purportedly showed voters confronting an agent over cash allegedly being distributed to influence their choices.
Similar allegations were reported in Osogbo, where voters were said to have been offered N25,000 each at a polling unit.
BVAS problems disrupt voting
Technical difficulties involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) also affected voting in several locations.
Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi reported problems with the device at his polling unit in Ife East, saying the malfunction slowed accreditation and prevented some voters from completing the process.
Former Minister of State for Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan also complained about the slow performance of BVAS at his polling unit in Ayedaade, particularly for elderly voters.
CJID reported similar problems in several local government areas, including Egbedore, Ife Central, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ifelodun, Oriade and Ilesa East.
Kimpact Development Initiative, which deployed 370 observers to 1,660 polling units across the state’s 30 local government areas, reported that 43 per cent of the monitored locations experienced delays in the arrival of INEC officials.
The organisation also documented 19 suspected cases of vote trading, 17 incidents involving alleged interference by party agents and seven cases involving security personnel.
Violence reported in several locations
The election was also overshadowed by reports of violence, intimidation and attempted ballot-box snatching.
At Salvation Army High School in Osogbo, which served as a collation centre, gunmen reportedly opened fire after allegedly trailing a vehicle carrying INEC personnel and election materials. One person was reportedly shot in the chest during the incident.
Gunshots were also reported at Ikirun in Ifelodun Local Government Area following a disagreement among party agents during the counting process.
In Osogbo, suspected gunmen reportedly attacked the Olorunda Ward 8 collation centre. Soldiers subsequently took control of the premises, while election officials were evacuated to the Olorunda INEC office.
In Ejigbo, supporters reportedly rescued ADC candidate Najeem Salaam after suspected political thugs attacked his polling unit. Journalists at the scene were also allegedly assaulted, while vehicles and election materials were vandalised.
A ballot box was reportedly snatched in Iree, Boripe Local Government Area, although voters allegedly apprehended one of the suspected attackers and recovered a gun and axe.
Another attempted ballot-box snatching was reported around Golf Junction in Osogbo. Witnesses claimed that armed men fired into the air to scare voters away, but security personnel reportedly intervened before the ballot box could be taken.
Parties trade accusations
The APC, ADC and Accord all condemned the reported violence, but the parties blamed one another for the incidents.
The APC accused Accord supporters of being behind the alleged ballot-box snatching in Osogbo and called on INEC to take appropriate action.
The ADC, meanwhile, rejected the conduct of the election in areas where it alleged violence, vote-buying and manipulation. The party called for the cancellation of results from affected locations, including Ikire, Iree, Ilesa and Ejigbo.
Accord also alleged that security agencies were being used to intimidate its supporters and interfere with the collation process.
The party claimed that the arrest of a PDP member after he voted was part of a broader attempt to weaken Adeleke’s support and alter results at collation centres.
The Imole Campaign Council, which backed Adeleke, separately described the election in Irewole Local Government Area as problematic, alleging that suspected thugs disrupted voting and attacked Accord agents.
Election outcome still pending
Despite the allegations of vote-buying, technical problems and violence, collation of results continued as INEC worked toward determining the final outcome.
The provisional figures available during the early stage of collation placed Adeleke ahead of Oyebamiji, with Salaam trailing in third position.
However, the reported figures remained subject to the official collation process by INEC. Allegations of irregularities, violence and vote-buying were also being contested by the parties involved, meaning that the final certified result would depend on the commission’s official review and declaration.