Agents and officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were conspicuously absent during the final collation of results of the Osun State governorship election at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Osogbo on Sunday morning. Their absence signaled that the party was aware of its defeat and showed little interest in the formal declaration of results.
Election Day and Collation Process
The election, held on Saturday, commenced in some polling units as early as 8 a.m., with voting continuing until 6 p.m. in some areas and extending to 7 p.m. in others. Premium Times reporters, who monitored the exercise across all 30 local government areas of the state, observed that party agents, including those of the APC, were present at polling units and local government collation centres, where results were collated before being forwarded to the INEC state office for final collation.
However, when INEC began the final announcement of results at its headquarters, none of the APC agents was present, unlike agents of other political parties. The absence of APC officials may be linked to the party's assessment of the outcome, which appeared unfavorable to its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The party has not yet provided an official explanation for its absence.
Ademola Adeleke Leads with Over 60,000 Votes
As of 6 a.m., the announcement of results had been concluded, with Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party leading the race with more than 60,000 votes after results from all 30 LGAs were announced. Supporters of Mr. Adeleke were seen jubilating outside the INEC office, while the deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, was seated inside the hall observing the collation process.
As of the time of filing this report, the returning officer for the election, Joshua Ogunwole, was yet to formally declare Mr. Adeleke the winner. The absence of APC agents at the final collation, a departure from their earlier presence at polling and local government levels, underscores the party's apparent concession of the election outcome.
Impact and Next Steps
The formal declaration of Mr. Adeleke as the winner is pending the announcement by the returning officer. The outcome is expected to have significant implications for the political landscape in Osun State, with the Accord Party poised to take control of the state government. The APC has not yet issued a statement regarding its absence or its next steps, leaving observers to speculate on its future actions.
