Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju have reacted to the victory of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in Saturday’s governorship election.
Davido, who is the governor’s nephew, celebrated the outcome shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner.
In a video shared online, the singer was seen rolling on the floor in excitement. He accompanied the post with the caption, “We did it unc (uncle).”
Adeyanju also congratulated the governor and the people of Osun State on Adeleke’s re-election.
In a post, he wrote, “Congratulations to governor Adeleke and the good people of Osun state.”
However, Adeyanju’s congratulatory message was accompanied by a criticism of the leadership of the electoral commission.
He suggested that the outcome might have been different if former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had remained in charge of the commission.
Adeyanju wrote, “If it was Mahmud Yakubu that was chairman, the APC magic would have happened like in Edo. APC is a very evil party.”
Adeleke secured a second term after defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the election held across the state on Saturday.
The governor, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, winning by a margin of 66,252 votes.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, declared Adeleke the winner at about 7:24 am on Sunday after the results from the state’s 30 local government areas had been collated.
According to the final results, Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11.
Adeleke recorded wins in Ede North, Ede South, Ejigbo, Iwo, Egbedore, Ife North, Ife East, Ife Central, Oriade, Ifelodun, Orolu, Ayedaade, Ayedire, Odo Otin, Boluwaduro, Ilesa West, Ifedayo and Osogbo.
Oyebamiji won in Irewole, Isokan, Olorunda, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun and Obokun.
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Ogunwole said 1,010,684 voters were accredited for the election, while 1,005,800 votes were cast. Of the total votes cast, 985,079 were valid, while 20,721 were rejected.
Other candidates scored AA, 2,308; AAC, 1,458; ADP, 2,946; APGA, 1,475; APM, 234; APP, 114; BP, 111; NNPP, 118; PRP, 83; SDP, 155; YPP, 534; and ZLP, 2,482.
After the results were signed by agents of the participating political parties, the returning officer formally declared Adeleke the winner.
Declaring the result, Ogunwole said, “That Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election and returned elected.”
The result secures Adeleke another four-year term as governor of Osun State following a closely fought contest with Oyebamiji and other candidates.
