Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has described his victory in the August 15 governorship election as a triumph for democracy and a strong endorsement of his administration by the people of the state.
Adeleke spoke on Sunday in Osogbo shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner of the election, thanking God and the people of Osun State for their support.
The governor said his re-election demonstrated that residents appreciated what his administration had achieved in delivering the dividends of democracy, particularly in agriculture, infrastructure and education.
“This is a victory for democracy in Nigeria and a victory for the people of Osun State that stood by me, that said Imole, you have done a lot for us, you have given us dividends of democracy in terms of agriculture, infrastructure, improving our education and so forth,” Adeleke said.
INEC had earlier declared Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, winner after he secured 511,067 votes.
His closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, polled 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, said Adeleke satisfied the requirements for victory after recording the highest number of votes and securing a two-thirds majority in two-thirds of the state’s 30 local government areas.
The declaration triggered celebrations among Adeleke’s supporters in Osogbo, as the governor secured another four-year term at the helm of affairs of the state.
Adeleke’s victory came after a closely contested election in which the Accord candidate maintained a lead over Oyebamiji throughout the collation process before the final declaration by INEC.
