The Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday presented the certificate of return to Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The certificate presentation to Adeleke by the INEC National Commissioner, Supervising Osun, Ogun and Oyo states, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, was preceded by the presentation to the deputy governor-elect, Prince Kola Adewusi.
The presentation came about 72 hours after Adeleke was declared the winner of the Saturday, July 16 poll, garnering 403, 371 votes to defeat Mr Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, who polled 375, 027 votes.
In his acceptance speech after receiving the certificate at a brief ceremony held at Osun INEC head office in Osogbo, Adeleke dedicated his victory at the poll to the memory of his late elder brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke and the people of Osun state.
The Punch had earlier reported that 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.
The Punch reported that Adeleke and his nephew, award-winning Nigerian singer, 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.
