As the Osun State electorate prepare to cast their votes for their preferred candidates less than 24 hours before the off-cycle governorship election, political parties are making a last-minute push to secure victory.
Following the recent court order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Dr Francis Olugbenga Ajala, in the race, 15 political parties will now contest the election.
The parties and their candidates are Ademola Adeleke (Accord Party); Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (All Progressives Congress); Najeem Salaam (African Democratic Congress); Olanrewaju Farinloye (Action Alliance); Esan Olajide (African Action Congress); and Adeagbo Yemisi (Action Democratic Party).
Other political parties in the race are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
While all the political parties have established their presence in the state, three of them—the All Progressives Congress (APC), Accord Party and African Democratic Congress (ADC)—are the major contenders.
It is worth noting that the candidates of the three parties—Ademola Adeleke (Accord Party), Bola Oyebamiji (APC) and Najeem Salaam (ADC)—are from the Osun West Senatorial District.
How They Stand
The Accord Party candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, hails from Ede. A businessman and politician, he served as senator representing the Osun West Senatorial District from 2017 to 2019, following the demise of his brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke. He is the incumbent governor of the state.
Popularly known as Imole (the Dancing Governor), Adeleke is popular among workers in Osun. The apex labour union in the state, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the Trade Union Congress endorsed him as their candidate, as did many artisan trade unions.
After almost four years in office, Adeleke has been using projects executed by his administration as a bargaining chip across the state’s local government areas.
Banking on block votes from the two local government areas in Ede, his hometown, Adeleke is also expected to win Egbedore Local Government Area, where the incumbent member representing his federal constituency, Bamidele Salam, hails from.
Adeleke may make headway in the Iwo Federal Constituency, courtesy of the Iwo-born former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Moshood Adeoti. However, Akin Ogunbiyi of the APC, who is the party’s Osun West Senatorial District candidate, may pose a challenge to his victory in the constituency.
He would have had to contend with Senator Iyiola Omisore in the Ife Central/Ife East/Ife North/Ife South Federal Constituency if Omisore had been in the race. However, with his deputy, Kola Adewusi, present, Adeleke is expected to perform well there.
The governor may have it tough in Ijesaland due to the vibrancy of heavyweight politicians domiciled in the APC, including Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Sanya Omirin, Timothy Owoeye, Oluwole Oke, Remi Omowaye and Tubosun Oyintiloye, among others, as well as Rauf Aregbesola of the African Democratic Congress.
Even with the above-mentioned APC chieftains, Adeleke has foot soldiers in Mayowa Adejoorin, Commissioner for Environment; Pelumi Olajengbesi, House of Representatives candidate; Hon. Adeyemi Adewumi, Obokun representative in the Osun State House of Assembly; Ibokun Fadipe, SUBEB chairman; and a host of others.
The withdrawal of support for Adeleke by former governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Shuaib Oyedokun, as well as the backing of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, may make it difficult for the governor to win the Osun Central Senatorial District.
But, no doubt, securing 25 per cent of the votes in two-thirds of the 30 local government areas of Osun State may not be a problem for Adeleke.
Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, hails from the Irewole/Isokan/Ayedaade Federal Constituency. A vibrant politician and banker, he served as the Osun Commissioner for Finance under the administrations of former governors Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola, and as Managing Director/CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority.
Oyebamiji will be banking on bloc votes from the Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, with the support of his foot soldiers there.
