Early returns from the Osun State governorship election last night indicated a tight race between the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Isiaka Oyetola and Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Oyetola had the upper hand in 13 of the 30 local government areas, according to results handed over to party agents at the various polling stations by INEC.
Adeleke trailed in the second position after winning in 11 LGAs while Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the preferred candidate in only four LGAs.
Alhaji Moshood Adeoti of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) secured only two LGAs.
The official result is to be released by INEC.
Each of the leading candidates won in his unit and local government area.
Oyetola won in Boripe, Adeleke in Ede, Omisore in Ile Ife and Adeoti in Iwo.
It was however a bad outing for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of the State and the prime mover of the Olusegun Obasanjo-inspired African Democratic Party’s (ADC) candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, lost in Oyinlola’s ward at Okuku.
Don’t tamper with our winning results – PDP
Moment after the close of voting yesterday, the Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation issued a statement warning against manipulation of the results of the poll.
The will of the people must be respected, it said in the statement by its Director of Publicity, Mr. Olawale Rasheed.
He said: “as results are been collated across the state, we demand utmost fair play and transparency from the electoral body.
“We are watching and monitoring closely. Under no circumstance should the collation process be manipulated.
“Our agents and leaders are on their toes armed with relevant results and forms. The will of the people must be respected.
“We task INEC and security agencies to obey the directive of President Muhammad Buhari who had ordered that the Osun electoral process should never be manipulated by federal or any related agencies.
“We call on local and international observers to take note of the ongoing process and assist the people of Osun state to realise the supremacy of their electoral will.
“Our people should also be ever vigilant to protect their votes and their aspirations for better life.”
Voters turn out high
Voters’ turn out for the election was generally high across the state.
Security was also tight to discourage disruption of the election and to apprehend violators of the electoral process.
Accreditation and voting commenced at about 8 am simultaneously in many polling units
In Osogbo, the state capital, many of the residents had trooped to their polling units as early as 6.am.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said more than 300 voters were on the queue at Osunbukola Ward 10 Unit 003 Polling Unit in Egbedore LGA by the time voting got underway.
There were also some policemen and NSCDC personnel at the polling unit.
The Accreditation Officer at the unit, Mashood Samson, said the exercise was hitch-free with the card readers working perfectly.
An official of the Transition Monitoring Group, Dr Abiola Afolabi, told NAN the exercise in the units visited was orderly.
At the Ward 5 Unit 1 Polling Unit in Osogbo Local Government, more than 300 voters were on the queue for accreditation and voting which started at 8.10.am.
An international observer from the National Democratic Institute who simply identified herself as Miss Courtney said the exercise so far had been transparent, an assessment corroborated by Busayo Soyebi of the Centre for Transparent Advocacy.
At the Osogbo Polling Unit 2 Ward 5 inside Osogbo Grammar School, no fewer than 200 voters were sighted waiting to be accredited.
In Iragbiji, the hometown of the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, there was also a massive turnout.
At the polling units in LA primary School Popo, Ward 1, Oja Oba Town Hall, Ward 2, Osolo Hall, Ward 1 and Oke-Osun, Ward 1B, many of the voters arrived as early as 7:00 am to check their names on the voters’ list.
At exactly 8:24, accreditation and voting started at Polling Unit 2, LA Primary School Popo.
Some voters, however, complained that they could not find their names on the voters’ register.
The INEC Presiding Officer, Mr Lawal Adewale, said they had no challenges at the voting unit as materials arrived early.
He said those complaining they could not find their names on the voters’ register were not at the polling unit to vote.
More than 200 voters were at the polling unit made up three voting points to cast their vote.
In Ede, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Adeleke, voted at Ward 2 Unit 9 at Sagba-Abogunde at about 8:01 am after an initial hitch with the card reader.
“The card reader took a lot of processes before it started working and I hope it is not the same in other polling units,” he said.
The police spokesman, Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, had said four unarmed policemen and two others from other security agencies would be on duty at each voting point throughout the state.
He also said the Police Mobile Force (PMF) headed by a very senior officer will provide security at the RAC, Super RAC and collation centres.