Independent National Electoral Commission, on Wednesday, issued Certificate of Return to Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
INEC National Commissioner, Supervising Osun, Ogun and Oyo states, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, who presented the Certificate of Return to Adeleke, earlier presented that of the Deputy Governor-elect, Prince Kola Adewusi, to him.
The presentation of the certificates was done in a brief ceremony held at the INEC state head office, Osogbo.
INEC made the presentation about 72 hours after Adeleke was declared the winner of the Saturday, July 16 poll, in which he polled 403, 371 votes to defeat incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the ruling All Progressives Congress, who polled 375, 027 votes.
The Governor-elect in his acceptance speech after receiving the certificate, dedicated his victory at the poll to the memory of his late elder brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke and the people of Osun State.
Main opposition PDP had won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas of the state, while the APC won the remaining 13 during last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
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, while the ruling APC won in Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Ife South, and Ife East LGAs.
Recall that Adeleke and his nephew, the award-winning Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, were seen in a video that went viral online, celebrating an early lead when the counting started.
There was also wild jubilation in the Situation Room of the PDP, as the party claimed it was winning the election even before INEC announced the final results.
No fewer than 15 political parties participated 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.
