The Osun Governorship election will be a two-horse race between the incumbent governor and candidate of the APC, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; the PDP candidate and runner-up in the 2018 governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke

election will be a two-horse race between the incumbent governor and candidate of the APC, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; the PDP candidate and runner-up in the 2018 governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Two other candidates, Lasun Yussuf of the LP and Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party will come distant third and fourth, respectively.

The incumbent Governor Oyetola of APC will have another date with the candidate of PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleke, whom he (Oyetola) defeated four years ago after a controversial rerun.

The electoral commission had declared the September 2018 governorship election inconclusive when Adeleke was in a narrow lead. It took the former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore to defect to APC before the ruling party could win the election. Even at that, the Election Tribunal ruled in favour of Adeleke, but the Supreme Court later reversed the decision in favour of Oyetola.

Many Nigerians had assumed that Adeleke won the election but that the process was allegedly tampered with to favour Oyetola. The rivalry between Oyetola and Adeleke will come to the open again on July 16 when the duo battle for the soul of the Osun.

GBOYEGA OYETOLA (APC)

Adegboyega Oyetola, the candidate of the APC, contested the Osun State governorship election on the platform of the same political party in 2018 and he won. On March 23, 2019, an election tribunal declared that he was not legally returned and ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, but it was overturned by the Supreme Court. Prior to his emergence as governor, he was the Chief of Staff to former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, his predecessor.

Oyetola was born in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State on September 29, 1954. He attended the University of Lagos and graduated with a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Insurance in 1978. He obtained a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos in 1990.

Oyetola, is currently at loggerheads with some members of APC in Osun, which forced the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, to leave APC to contest on the platform of Labour Party (LP).

Adeleke is also facing a similar fate as Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, the candidate of the Accord Party (AP), also defected to AP after he lost out in the parallel primaries conducted by the PDP to elect its candidate

Oyetola emerged as the APC flag bearer in a congress that witnessed parallel exercise with the immediate past governor openly declared support for a faction in the party, The Osun Progressives, following a frosty relationship with Oyetola.

To date, there has not been a serious resolution of the crisis that led to the division in Osun APC.

Oyetola has said several times during the campaign that his achievements in office will get him the second term ticket. Analysts believe the incumbent governor has recorded modest achievements in critical areas like road infrastructure, education, health and added to this, he has ensured regular payment of salaries to workers.

Political watchers in the living spring state, as Osun is called, have commended Oyetola for being an easygoing personality. The hindrance on his way to victory may be the adamant position of The Osun Progressives, (TOP) who have refused to identify with his campaign.

TOP, which is headed by Aregbesola, also parades notable politicians and leaders who are capable of pulling a surprise and causing a serious setback for the governor at critical moments.

There is also the challenge posed by the governing party’s failure to announce the results of the State and National Assembly primaries. Many fear this may lead to disenchantment and anti-party sentiments going into the election.

ADEMOLA ADELEKE (PDP)

Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the PDP, represented the Osun-West Senatorial District between 2017 and 2019. He is from the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State.

A businessman and administrator, he served as an Executive Director at Guinness Nigeria Plc between 1992 and 1999. He started his political career in 2001 alongside his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who died in April 2017. He contested in the Osun-West 2017 by-election after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the PDP.

On July 23, 2018, Adeleke emerged as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Osun State after defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes. He contested in the Osun governorship election on the platform of the PDP against top contenders like Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and Chief Iyiola Omisore of SDP on September 22, 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by INEC and a supplementary election was held on September 27, 2018. The candidate of the APC, Oyetola, was declared winner after a run-off election.

Adeleke, who narrowly lost to Oyetola in 2018, is seen as a hot contender for the governorship ticket. With the backing of his multi-millionaire brother, Deji Adeleke, many believe he may spring a surprise in the election, if the PDP in Osun resolves to unite ahead of the election.

Also to Adeleke’s advantage is the fact that the people in Osun West, where he hails from, have been clamouring to take another shot at the governorship. Apart from the late Senator Adetunji Isiaka Adeleke from Osun West, the people say it is their turn to produce a governor for the state. Aregbesola is from Osun East, other past governors including Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Bisi Akande and Oyetola, are from Osun Central. This development may favour Adeleke next month.

The 62-year-old politician has continued to enjoy the goodwill of his brothers – late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke and Dr Deji Adeleke. The late Senator Adeleke was the first civilian governor of the state, while Dr Adeleke is a businessman and father of popular musician, David Adeleke, also known as Davido.

Ademola’s late brother, Senator Adeleke was before his death, a prominent politician in the state with a lot of followers. Majority of those supporting Ademola Adeleke now are doing so because of the late Isiaka Adeleke, given their relationship with the deceased.

POLICE/OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES

Still basking in the euphoria of its performance in Ekiti during the Ekiti State governorship election, the Nigeria Police Force has vowed to continue the good work in Osun State during the July 16 governorship election.

As part of efforts to ensure there is no bias, Commissioner of Police in Osun, Olawale Olokode, has been temporarily moved to the Force Headquarters, pending the conclusion of the governorship election when he would return to the state.

The Police headquarters said they have to do this to ensure “transparency, professional and proactive as possible in all our engagements and operations in the Osun governorship election, hence the deployment of senior officers from the Federal Headquarter to oversee the election security in the state. The IG has ordered necessary deployment of both human and material assets to fortify the state for the exercise.”

With a high level of preparation by the INEC, political parties and the security agencies, one is looking forward to an interesting governorship election in Osun State.

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