The battle line drawn between Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola’s re-election bid and the Minister of Interior and former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola’s preferred candidate turned up anxieties in the state.

The disharmonious state of Osun All Progressives Congress, APC worsened as Aregbesola’s faction named The Osun Progressives (TOP) and Oyetola’s group called Ileri-Oluwa Movement intensified their fierceness against each other.

Their controversies were characterised with attacks, assaults and insults. They embarked on tours to different local government areas to engage the indigenes, gather more followers and make their intention known.

Aregbesola publicly denounced Oyetola and declared Moshood Adeoti, the former Secretary to the State Government who served with him when he was the state governor as his preferred candidate.

The minister canvassed for Adeoti’s support in the February 19 primary election for him to emerge as the party’s flag bearer for July 16 governorship election. He described Governor Oyetola as an ingrate and a traitor whom he assisted in 2018 to assume office but destroyed his legacies afterwards.

However, loyalists of the incumbent governor have said Aregbesola is not God that would determine Oyetola’s fate in the election. The governor was described as one who has absolute faith in God and the people of Osun. 

They remained loyal to him, canvassing for party members’ support as they embarked on ‘Strategic Engagement Tour’ to all the nine federal constituencies in Osun State.

The two factions ended their separate tours on Thursday, February 17, 2022 and appeared before the Primary election committee from the party headquarters in Abuja on Friday evening ahead of the primary election on Saturday.

The three contenders for the party’s ticket– Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and ex-deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuff expressed readiness for the election after the address of the chairman of the electoral committee, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, the governor of Kwara State.

The party adopted the direct election mode in all the 332 wards in the state. Accreditation was slated to begin by 8 am and end by 12 noon after which the accredited voters would queue behind their preferred candidates and would be counted and recorded.

Investors King who monitored the election process in several wards observed that there was a massive turnout of voters. There was no tension as predicted by members of the public due to the factions’ confrontations. Security personnel consisting of Nigerian Police Force, Amotekun Corps, Joint Task Force and Hunters Group of Nigeria were on ground to man the wards. Not less than ten security operatives were seen in each ward.

However, in some wards visited, there were controversies on the pasting of the party membership register. The party register was not pasted, names were being called which didn’t go down well with some party members but it was resolved by the security personnel. Also, at ward 12 in Iwo, accreditation started by 9 am, hence was still on the accreditation till around 1:47 pm which ought to have ended by 12noon.

Moving to Governor Oyetola’s ward, Ward 1 at St Peters Primary School in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area, Investors King reports that he was largely welcomed by members after which he was accredited. After counting the votes, the election official, Samson Oyebode announced that the governor had 1612 votes while Adeoti and Lasun had no vote and no party agent.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the election process in his hometown, Oyetola expressed satisfaction over the massive turnout and orderliness.

He appealed to the party members to maintain peace as he said, “all the members of the party have the opportunity to decide who will carry the flag of the party. This election process should not be a battlefield. It should not be a do or die affair.”

Confident of victory, Oyetola reiterated his trust in God to emerge the winner and urged the party members not to indulge in any violent act.

To his co-contenders, he said, “I want to appeal to them to ensure that we have an opportunity for reconciliation. It’s a family thing. It’s APC all through. We should brace up for the challenge ahead. We are going to face another party in this campaign we don’t know yet.”

The deputy governor of Osun, Benedict Alabi, in his hometown, Ikire at ward 6 was present to cast his vote.

Speaking in an interview during the process, he said the primary election was well organised, timely and orderly in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area.

According to him, Governor Oyetola is the candidate to beat as the other two aspirants are not visible in the area.

At Hon. Lasun Yusuff’s ward, ward 05 in Ilobu, Irepodun local government area of the state, Oyetola had 323 votes, Adeoti had 62 votes while Lasun had 10 votes. With this, Oyetola emerged the winner in Lasun’s ward.

In Ward 8, Ilesa East Local government area which is Aregbesola’s ward but was absent at the election, Oyetola had 309 votes and Adeoti had 146 votes. But this was not without controversy as the factional chairman of the ward explained that the absence of the minister who was on an assignment for President Muhammadu Buhari robbed them of a fair, unbiased election.

The factional chairman of ward 8, Saheed Adegoke stated that the election didn’t go well in his ward, pointing that the voters’ register brought was not accurate.

“During the accreditation, there are some people that belonged to us and their names could not be found in the register book they brought. I challenged them. I made them know that the register has been doctored. They did not listen because they are incumbent and they are many. 

“The most unfortunate is that the leader of the electoral process showed that he is for their side. If I raise any observation, he will tell me to go to court. I told him he was wrong to be biased. The security could not do anything. They did not show us the result sheet. They packed the whole thing and started running,” Adegoke lamented.

The factional state chairman, Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile of ward 04, Isale-Oba in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun also decried their inaccessibility to the party’s register.

“Up till today, we have not seen the register of the party, which is against the rules of the game. At least, each of the aspirants is expected to have a copy of the register of members but none of them has it. We raised it at the stakeholders meeting at the party secretariat. Many of our supporters can’t find their names on the register,” he said during an interview at the ward.

Salinsile averred that “whatever comes out of this exercise is a nullity, we won’t take it.”

After the collation of the results from each ward and local government areas in the state, the electoral committee declared Governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the winner of the election in the early hours of Sunday as he polled 222,169 defeating the Minister for Interior, Rauf Aregbesola’s candidate, Moshood Adeoti who had 12921 votes and Lasun Yusuff who polled 460 votes.

Here’s the official results released for each local government area:

Atakunmosa East LGA

Registered voters: 8628

Accredited voters: 2917

Oyetola: 2637

Adeoti: 165

Lasun: 0

Atakunmosa West LGA

Registered voters: 8964

Accredited voters: 5055

Oyetola: 4655

Adeoti: 305

Lasun: 07

Ayedaade LGA

Registered voters: 15185

Accredited voters: 4371

Oyetola: 3615

Adeoti: 540

Lasun: 0

Ayedire LGA

Registered voters: 6763

Accredited voters: 3664

Oyetola: 3204

Adeoti: 279

Lasun: 03

Boluwaduro LGA

Registered voters: 9422

Accredited voters: 6527

Oyetola: 6399

Adeoti: 62

Lasun: 0

Boripe LGA

Registered voters: 18410

Accredited voters: 15531

Oyetola: 15034

Adeoti: 05

Lasun: 0

Ede North LGA

Registered voters: 11908

Accredited voters: 0834

Oyetola: 0110

Adeoti: 311

Lasun: 02

Ede South LGA

Registered voters: 7372

Accredited voters: 3525

Oyetola: 2664

Lasun: 0

Adeoti: 628

Egbedore LGA

Registered voters: 10089

Accredited voters: 6334

Oyetola: 5500

Adeoti: 420

Lasun: 0

Ejigbo LGA

Registered voters: 12579

Accredited voters: 8367

Oyetola: 8007

Adeoti: 360

Lasun: 0

Ife Central LGA

Registered voters: 14331

Accredited voters: 11881

Oyetola: 10843

Adeoti: 334

Lasun: 01

Ifedayo LGA

Registered voters: 6586

Accredited voters: 4678

Oyetola: 4214

Lasun: 0

Adeoti: 141

Ife East LGA

Registered voters: 15922

Accredited voters: 12529

 Oyetola: 12030

 Lasun: 0

 Adeoti: 326

Ifelodun LGA

Registered voters: 16789

Accredited voters: 12971

Oyetola: 11873

Adeoti: 631

Lasun: 27

Ife North LGA

Reg: 9329

Acc: 3795

Oyetola: 3377

Adeoti: 242

Lasun: 05

Ife South LGA

Registered voters: 11435

Accredited voters: 8673

 Oyetola: 8268

 Lasun: 0

 Adeoti: 043

Ila LGA

Registered voters: 11359

Accredited voters: 9223

Oyetola: 8834

Adeoti: 47

Lasun: 0

Ilesa East LGA

Registered voters: 11132

Accredited voters: 5846

Oyetola: 4857

Adeoti: 483

Lasun: 1

Ilesa West LGA

Registered voters: 11552

Accredited voters: 4660

Oyetola: 3877

Adeoti: 446

Lasun: 0

Irepodun LGA

Registered voters: 20563

Accredited voters: 9692

Oyetola: 7928

Adeoti: 732

Lasun: 294

Irewole LGA

Registered voters: 14085

Accredited voters: 8432

Oyetola: 7560

Adeoti: 537

Lasun: 0

Isokan LGA

Registered voters: 14366

Accredited voters: 6899

Oyetola: 6468

Adeoti: 279

Lasun: 13

Iwo LGA

Registered voters: 24543

Accredited voters: 14690

Oyetola: 9432

Adeoti: 2543

Lasun: 01

Obokun LGA

Registered voters: 13048

Accredited voters: 5910

Oyetola: 5245

Adeoti: 527

Lasun: 02

Odo-Otin LGA

Registered voters: 14304

Accredited voters: 8119

Oyetola: 7735

Adeoti: 384

Lasun:0

Olaoluwa LGA

Registered voters: 8747

Accredited voters: 4134

Oyetola: 3771

Adeoti: 363

Lasun: 0

Olorunda LGA

Registered voters: 18402

Accredited voters: 8087

Oyetola: 7103

Adeoti: 555

Lasun: 01

Oriade LGA

Registered voters: 16186

Accredited voters: 11384

Oyetola: 10935

Adeoti: 438

Lasun: 11

Orolu LGA

Registered voters: 8927

Accredited voters: 7768

Oyetola: 6652

Adeoti: 130

Lasun: 0

Osogbo LGA

Registered voters: 37771

Accredited voters: 23711

Oyetola: 22265

Adeoti: 655

Lasun: 170

Total number of registered voters: 408697

Total number of accredited voters: 247207

Total number of votes cast: 235550

Oyetola: 222169

Lasun: 460

Adeoti: 12921

The chairman of the electoral committee, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasak had earlier commended the peaceful conduct of members as he monitored the electoral process.

Abdulrasak who spoke at Governor Oyetola’s ward in Iragbiji, noted that the huge turnout and orderliness contradicted the expectations of many over the exercise.

The Kwara State Governor further said that Osun APC is strong and peaceful against the images painted by news outfits. He commended the party members and aspirants for conducting themselves well.

Aregbesola has, however, reacted to the outcome of the election. He described the election as a sham, biased electoral process.

He highlighted the irregularities of the exercise and expressed readiness to challenge the election in court.

The minister commended his loyalists for conducting themselves peacefully and encouraged them to remain unflinching in their commitment to the democratic ideals. 

“Democracy is for the long haul. As you all know, we never tire and we never give up on the cause we believe in. Be rest assured that victory is ours,” he concluded.

Governor Oyetola, in his acceptance speech sued for peace and cooperation in preparation for the July 16, governorship election in the state.

The Governor extended olive branch to the co-contenders, Adeoti and Lasun just as he urged members of the party to close ranks and eschew bitterness in all forms saying the time has come for all the aggrieved members to have a rethink and join hands with him to further strengthen the party and deliver outstanding results at the gubernatorial poll.  

He also reiterated his Administration’s commitment to running all inclusive, equitable and participatory governance in the State.

While the former governor of Lagos State and APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, south west governors, his cabinet members and others have congratulated the governor on his victory, the election result has been threatened with legal action.

Civil societies who served as observers during the election have commended and condemned the exercise.

While a group said it was conducted well and done peacefully, another pointed that it was below international standard, stating that the election was disrupted by violence in some areas.

Political analysts have tagged the victory of Oyetola as a disgrace to Aregbesola who according to them shouldn’t fold his hands and watch as he (Aregbesola) had earlier bragged of his candidate winning the election.

Eyes are wide open longing to know if Aregbesola’s faction would come into the open embrace of Oyetola and accept his olive branch before the July 16 governorship election.